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Chapter
I
Now when Alexander, king of Macedon, had put an end to the dominion of the
Persians, and had settled the affairs in Judea after the before mentioned
manner, he died. And as his government was divided among many, Antigonus
obtained Asia, Seleucus Babylon; and of the other nations which were
there, Lysimachus governed the Hellespont, and Cassander possessed
Macedonia; as did Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, seize upon Egypt: and while
these princes ambitiously strove one against another, everyone for his own
principality, it came to pass that there were continual wars, and those
lasting wars too; and the cities were sufferers, and lost a great many of
their inhabitants in these times of distress, insomuch that all Syria, by
the means of Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, underwent the reverse of that name
of Saviour, which he then had. He also seized upon Jerusalem, and for that
end made use of deceit and treachery; for as he came into the city on a
Sabbath day, as if he would offer sacrifices he, without any trouble,
gained the city, while the Jews did not oppose him, for they did not
suspect him to be their enemy; and he gained it thus, because they were
free from suspicion of him, and because on that day they were at rest and
quietness; and when he had gained it, he ruled over it in a cruel manner.
Nay, Agatharchides of Cnidus, who wrote the acts of Alexander’s
successors, reproaches us with superstition, as if we, by it, had lost our
liberty; where he says thus:— “There is a nation, called the nation of
the Jews, who inhabit a city strong and great, named Jerusalem. These men
took no care, but let it come into the hands of Ptolemy, as not willing to
take arms, and thereby they submitted to be under a hard master, by reason
of their unseasonable superstition.” This is what Agatharchides relates
of our nation. But when Ptolemy had taken a great many captives, both from
the mountainous parts of Judea, and from the places about Jerusalem and
Samaria, and the places near Mount Gerizim, he led them all into Egypt,
{a} and settled them there. And because he knew that the people of
Jerusalem were most faithful in the observation of oaths and covenants;
{b} and this from the answer they made to Alexander, when he sent an
embassy to them, after he had beaten Darius in battle; so he distributed
many of them into garrisons, and at Alexandria gave them equal privileges
of citizens with the Macedonians themselves; and required of them to take
their oaths that they would keep their fidelity to the posterity of those
who committed these places to their care. Nay, there were not a few other
Jews who, of their own accord, went into Egypt, as invited by the goodness
of the soil, and by the liberality of Ptolemy. However, there were
disorders among their posterity, with relation to the Samaritans, on
account of their resolution to preserve that conduct of life which was
delivered to them by their forefathers, and they thereupon contended one
with another, while those of Jerusalem said that their temple was holy,
and resolved to send their sacrifices there; but the Samaritans were
resolved that they should be sent to Mount Gerizim.
Chapter
II
When Alexander had reigned twelve years, and after him Ptolemy Soter forty
years, Philadelphus then took the kingdom of Egypt, and held it forty
years within one. He procured the law to be interpreted, and set free
those who were come from Jerusalem into Egypt, and were in slavery there,
who were a hundred and twenty thousand. The occasion was this:—
Demetrius Phalerius, who was library keeper to the king, was now
endeavouring, if it were possible, to gather together all the books that
were in the habitable earth, and buying whatever was anywhere valuable, or
agreeable to the king’s inclination, (who was very earnestly set upon
collecting of books,) to which inclination of his Demetrius was zealously
subservient. And when once Ptolemy asked him how many ten thousands of
books he had collected, he replied, that he had already about twenty times
ten thousand; but that, in a little time, he should have fifty times ten
thousand. But be said he had been informed that there were many books of
laws among the Jews worthy of inquiring after, and worthy of the king’s
library, but which, being written in characters and in a dialect of their
own, will cause no small pains in getting them translated into the Greek
tongue; {a} that the character in which they are written seems to be like
to that which is the proper character of the Syrians, and that its sound,
when pronounced, is like theirs also; and that this sound appears to be
peculiar to themselves. Therefore he said that nothing hindered why they
might not get those books to be translated also; for while nothing is
wanting that is necessary for that purpose, we may have their books also
in this library. So the king thought that Demetrius was very zealous to
procure him abundance of books, and that he suggested what was exceedingly
proper for him to do; and therefore he wrote to the Jewish high priest,
that he should act accordingly. Now there was one Aristeas, who was among
the king’s most intimate friends, and on account of his modesty very
acceptable to him. This Aristeas resolved frequently, and that before now,
to petition the king that he would set all the captive Jews in his kingdom
free; and he thought this to be a convenient opportunity for the making
that petition. So he discoursed, in the first place, with the captains of
the king’s guards, Sosibius of Tarentum, and Andreas, and persuaded them
to assist him in what he was going to intercede with the king for.
Accordingly Aristeas embraced the same opinion with those who have been
before mentioned, and went to the king, and made the following speech to
him: ‘It is not fit for us, O king, to overlook things hastily, or to
deceive ourselves, but to lay the truth open. For since we have determined
not only to get the laws of the Jews transcribed, but interpreted also,
for your satisfaction, by what means can we do this, while so many of the
Jews are now slaves in your kingdom? Do then what will be agreeable to
your magnanimity, and to your good nature: free them from the miserable
condition they are in, because that God, who supports your kingdom, was
the author of their laws as I have learned by particular inquiry; for both
these people, and we also, worship the same God the framer of all things.
We call him, and that truly, by the name of GREEK, [or life, or Jupiter,]
because he breathes life into all men. Therefore do restore these men to
their own country, and this do to the honour of God, because these men pay
a peculiarly excellent worship to him. And know this further, that though
I be not of kin to them by birth, nor one of the same country with them,
yet do I desire these favours to be done them, since all men are the
workmanship of God; and I am sensible that he is well pleased with those
who do good. I do therefore put up this petition to you, to do good to
them.’ When Aristeas was saying thus, the king looked upon him with a
cheerful and joyful countenance, and said, ‘How many ten thousands do
you suppose there are of such as want to be made free?’ To which Andreas
replied, as he stood by, and said,’ A few more than ten times ten
thousand.’ The king made answer, ‘And is this a small gift that you
ask, Aristeas?’ But Sosibius, and the rest that stood by, said that he
ought to offer such a thank offering as was worthy of his greatness of
soul, to that God who had given him his kingdom. With this answer he was
much pleased; and gave orders, that when they paid the soldiers their
wages, they should lay down [a hundred and] twenty drachmas for everyone
of the slaves. {b} And he promised to publish a magnificent decree, about
what they requested, which should confirm what Aristeas had proposed, and
especially what God willed should be done; whereby he said he would not
only set those free who had been led away captive by his father and his
army, but those who were in this kingdom before, and those also, if any
such there were, who had been brought away since. And when they said that
their redemption money would amount to above four hundred talents, he
granted it. A copy of which decree I have determined to preserve, that the
magnanimity of this king may be made known. Its contents were as follows:
‘Let all those who were soldiers under our father, and who, when they
overran Syria and Phoenicia, and laid waste Judea, took the Jews captives,
and made them slaves, and brought them into our cities, and into this
country, and then sold them; as also all those who were in my kingdom
before them, and if there be any that have been lately brought there,—be
made free by those who possess them; and let them accept of [a hundred
and] twenty drachmas for every slave. And let the soldiers receive this
redemption money with their pay, but the rest out of the king’s
treasury; for I suppose that they were made captives without our father’s
consent, and against equity; and that their country was harassed by the
insolence of the soldiers, and that, by removing them into Egypt, the
soldiers have made a great profit by them. Out of regard therefore to
justice, and out of pity to those who have been tyrannized over, contrary
to equity, I enjoin those who have such Jews in their service to set them
at liberty, upon the receipt of the before mentioned sum; and that no one
use any deceit about them, but obey what is here commanded. And I will
that they give in their names within three days after the publication of
this edict, to such as are appointed to execute the same, and to produce
the slaves before them also, for I think it will be for the advantage of
my affairs. And let everyone that will inform against those who do not
obey this decree, and I will that their estates be confiscated into the
king’s treasury.’ When this decree was read to the king, it at first
contained the rest that is here inserted, and omitted only those Jews that
had formerly been brought, and those brought afterward, which had not been
distinctly mentioned; so he added these clauses out of his humanity, and
with great generosity. He also gave orders that the payment, which was
likely to be done in a hurry, should be divided among the king’s
ministers, and among the officers of his treasury. When this was over,
what the king had decreed was quickly brought to a conclusion; and this in
no more than seven days’ time, the number of the talents paid for the
captives being above four hundred and sixty, and this, because their
masters required the [hundred and] twenty drachmas for the children also,
the king having, in effect, commanded that these should be paid for, when
he said in his decree, that they should receive the before mentioned sum
for every slave. Now when this had been done after so magnificent a
manner, according to the king’s inclinations, he gave orders to
Demetrius to give him in writing his sentiments concerning the
transcribing of the Jewish books; for no part of the administration is
done rashly by these kings, but all things are managed with great
circumspection. On which account I have included a copy of these letters,
and set down the multitude of the vessels sent as gifts [to Jerusalem],
and the construction of everyone, that the exactness of the craftsmen’s
workmanship, as it appeared to those that saw them, and which workman made
every vessel, may be made manifest, and this on account of the excellency
of the vessels themselves. Now the copy of the letter was to this purpose:—
“Demetrius to the great king. When you, O king, gave me a charge
concerning the collection of books that were still required to fill your
library, and concerning the care that ought to be taken about such as are
imperfect, I have used the utmost diligence about those matters. And I let
you know, that we want the books of the Jewish legislation, with some
others; for they are written in the Hebrew characters, and being in the
language of that nation, are to us unknown. It has also happened to them,
that they have been transcribed more carelessly than they ought to have
been, because they have not had hereto royal care taken about them. Now it
is necessary that you should have accurate copies of them. And indeed this
legislation is full of hidden wisdom, and entirely blameless, as being the
legislation of God: for which cause it is, as Hecateus of Abdera says,
that the poets and historians make no mention of it, nor of those men who
lead their lives according to it, since it is a holy law, and ought not to
be proclaimed by profane mouths. If then it please you, O king, you may
write to the high priest of the Jews, to send six of the elders out of
every tribe, and those such as are most skilful of the laws, that by their
means we may learn the clear and agreeing sense of these books, and may
obtain an accurate interpretation of their contents, and so may have such
a collection of these as may be suitable to your desire.” When this
letter was sent to the king, he commanded that a letter should be drawn up
for Eleazar, the Jewish high priest, concerning these matters; and that
they should inform him of the release of the Jews that had been in slavery
among them. He also sent fifty talents of gold for the making of large
basins, and vials, and cups, and an immense quantity of precious stones.
He also gave orders to those who had the custody of the chest that
contained those stones, to give the craftsmen permission to select what
sorts of them they pleased. He also appointed, that a hundred talents in
money should be sent to the temple for sacrifices, and for other uses. Now
I will give a description of these vessels, and the manner of their
construction, but not till after I have set down a copy of the letter
which was written to Eleazar the high priest, who had obtained that
dignity on the occasion following:— When Onias the high priest was dead,
his son Simon became his successor. He was called Simon the Just, {c}
because of both his piety toward God, and his kind disposition to those of
his own nation. When he was dead, and had left a young son, who was called
Onias, Simon’s brother Eleazar, of whom we are speaking, took the high
priesthood; and he it was to whom Ptolemy wrote, and that in the manner
following:— “King Ptolemy to Eleazar the high priest, sends greeting.
There are many Jews who now dwell in my kingdom, whom the Persians, when
they were in power, carried captives. These were honoured by my father;
some of them he placed in the army, and gave them greater pay than
ordinary; to others of them, when they came with him into Egypt, he
committed his garrisons, and the guarding of them, that they might be a
terror to the Egyptians; and when I had taken the government, I treated
all men with great humanity, and especially those who are your fellow
citizens, of whom I have set free more than a hundred thousand that were
slaves, and paid the price of their redemption to their masters out of my
own revenues; and those who are of a fit age, I have admitted into them
number of my soldiers; and for such as are capable of being faithful to
me, and proper for my court, I have put them in such a post, as thinking
this [kindness done to them] to be a very great and an acceptable gift,
which I devote to God for his providence over me; and as I am desirous to
do what will be grateful to these, and to all the other Jews in the
habitable earth, I have determined to procure an interpretation of your
law, and to have it translated out of Hebrew into Greek, and to be
deposited in my library. You will therefore do well to choose out and send
to me men of a good character, who are now elders in age, and six in
number out of every tribe. These, by their age, must be skilful in the
laws, and of abilities to make an accurate interpretation of them; and
when this shall be finished, I shall think that I have done a work
glorious to myself; and I have sent to you Andreas, the captain of my
guard, and Aristeas, men whom I have in very great esteem; by whom I have
sent those firstfruits which I have dedicated to the temple, and to the
sacrifices, and to other uses, to the value of a hundred talents; and if
you will send to us, to let us know what you would have further, you will
do a thing acceptable to me.” When this letter of the king was brought
to Eleazar, he wrote an answer to it with all the respect possible:—“Eleazar
the high priest to King Ptolemy, sends greeting. If you and your queen
Arsinoe, {d} and your children, be well, we are entirely satisfied. When
we received your letter, we greatly rejoiced at your intentions; and when
the multitude were gathered together, we read it to them, and thereby made
them sensible of the piety you have toward God. We also showed them the
twenty vials of gold, and thirty of silver, and the five large basins, and
the table for the showbread; as also the hundred talents for the
sacrifices, and for the making of what shall be needful at the temple:
which things, Andreas and Aristeas, those most honoured friends of yours,
have brought us; and truly they are persons of an excellent character, and
of great learning, and worthy of your virtue. Know then, that we will
gratify you in what is for your advantage, though we do what we used not
to do before; for we ought to make a return for the numerous acts of
kindness which you have done to our countrymen. We immediately, therefore,
offered sacrifices for you and your sister, with your children and
friends; and the multitude made prayers, that your affairs may be to your
mind; and that your kingdom may be preserved in peace, and that the
translation of our Law may come to the conclusion you desire, and be for
your advantage. We have also chosen six elders out of every tribe, whom we
have sent, and the Law with them. It will be your part, out of your piety
and justice, to send back the Law, when it has been translated; and to
return those to us that bring it in safety. Farewell.” This was the
reply which the high priest made; but it does not seem to me to be
necessary to set down the names of the seventy [two] elders who were sent
by Eleazar, and carried the Law, which yet were added at the end of the
letter. However, I thought it not improper to give an account of those
very valuable and magnificent vessels which the king sent to God, that all
may see how great a regard the king had for God; for the king allowed a
vast deal of expenses for these vessels, and came often to the workmen,
and viewed their works, and allowed nothing of carelessness or negligence
to be any damage to their operations; and I will relate how rich they were
as well as I am able, although, perhaps, the nature of this history may
not require such a description; but I imagine I shall thereby recommend
the elegant taste and magnanimity of this king to those who read this
history. And first I will describe what belongs to the table. It was
indeed in the king’s mind to make this table quite large in its
dimensions; but then he gave orders that they should learn what was the
size of the table which was already at Jerusalem, and how large it was,
and whether there was a possibility of making one larger than it; and when
he was informed how large that was which was already there, and that
nothing hindered but a larger might be made, he said that he was willing
to have one made that should be five times as large as the present table;
but his fear was, that it might be then useless in their sacred
ministrations by its too great size; for he desired that the gifts he
presented them should not only be there for show, but should be useful
also in their sacred ministrations. According to which reasoning, that the
former table was made of so moderate a size for use, and not for want of
gold, he resolved that he would not exceed the former table in size; but
would make it exceed it in the variety and elegancy of its materials. And
as he was sagacious in observing the nature of all things, and in having a
just notion of what was new and surprising, and where there was no
sculptures, he would invent such as were proper by his own skill, and
would show them to the workmen, he commanded that such sculptures should
now be made, and that those which were delineated should be most
accurately formed by a constant, regard to their delineation. When,
therefore, the workmen had undertaken to make the table, they made it in
length two cubits [and a half], in breadth one cubit, and in height one
cubit and a half; and the entire structure of the work was of gold. They
made a crown of a handbreadth around it, with wave work wreathed about it,
and with an engraving which imitated a cord, and was admirably turned on
its three parts; for as they were of a triangular figure, every angle had
the same disposition of its sculptures, that when you turned them about,
the very same form of them was turned about without any variation. Now
that part of the crown work that was enclosed under the table had its
sculptures very beautiful; but that part which went around on the outside
was more elaborately adorned with most beautiful ornaments, because it was
exposed to sight, and to the view of the spectators; for which reason it
was that both those sides which were extant above the rest were acute, and
none of the angles, which we before told you were there, appeared less
than another, when the table was turned about. Now into the cord work thus
turned were precious stones inserted, in rows parallel one to the other,
enclosed in golden buttons, which had settings in them; but the parts
which were on the side of the crown, and were exposed to the sight, were
adorned with a row of oval figures obliquely placed, of the most excellent
sort of precious stones, which imitated rods laid close, and surrounded
the table all around; but under these oval figures, thus engraved, the
workmen had put a crown all round it, where the nature of all sorts of
fruit was represented, insomuch that the bunches of grapes hung up. And
when they had made the stones to represent all the kinds of fruit before
mentioned, and that each in its proper colour, they made them fast with
gold around the whole table. The like disposition of the oval figures, and
of the engraved rods, was framed under the crown, that the table might on
each side show the same appearance of variety and elegance of its
ornaments; so that neither the position of the wave work nor of the crown
might be different, although the table was turned on the other side, but
that the prospect of the same artificial contrivances might be extended as
far as the feet; for there was made a plate of gold four fingers broad,
through the entire breadth of the table, into which they inserted the
feet, and then fastened them to the table by buttons and button holes, at
the place where the crown was located, that so on whatever side of the
table one should stand, it might exhibit the very same view of the
exquisite workmanship, and of the vast expenses bestowed upon it; but upon
the table itself they engraved a meander, inserting into it very valuable
stones in the middle, like stars of various colours; the carbuncle and the
emerald, each of which sent out agreeable rays of light to the spectators;
with such stones of other sorts also as were most curious and best
esteemed, as being most precious in their kind. Next to this meander a
texture of network ran around it, the middle of which appeared like a
rhombus, into which were inserted rock crystal and amber, which, by the
great resemblance of the appearance they made, gave wonderful delight to
those who saw them. The capitals of the feet imitated the first budding of
lilies, while their leaves were bent and laid under the table, but so that
the chives were seen standing upright within them. Their bases were made
of a carbuncle; and the place at the bottom, which rested on that
carbuncle, was one palm deep, and eight fingers in breadth. Now they had
engraved upon it with a very fine tool, and with a great deal of pains, a
branch of ivy and tendrils of the vine, sending forth clusters of grapes,
that you would guess they were in no way different from real tendrils; for
they were so very thin, and so very far extended at their extremities,
that they were moved with the wind, and made one believe that they were
the product of nature, and not the representation of art. They also made
the entire workmanship of the table appear to be threefold, while the
joints of the various parts were so united together as to be invisible,
and the places where they joined could not be distinguished. Now the
thickness of the table was not less than half a cubit. So that this gift,
by the king’s great generosity, by the great value of the materials, and
the variety of its exquisite structure, and the craftsmen’s skill in
imitating nature with graving tools, was at length brought to perfection,
while the king was very desirous, that though in size it were not to be
different from that which was already dedicated to God, yet that in
exquisite workmanship, and the novelty of the contrivances, and in the
splendour of its construction, it should far exceed it, and be more
illustrious than that was. Now of the mixing bowls of gold there were two,
whose sculpture was of scale work, from its basis to its belt-like circle,
with various sorts of stones fastened in the spiral circles. Next to which
there was upon it a meander, of a cubit in height; it was composed of
stones of all sorts of colours; and next to this was the rod work
engraved; and next to that was a rhombus in a texture of network, drawn
out to the brim of the basin, while small shields, made of stones,
beautiful in their kind, and of four fingers’ depth, filled up the
middle parts. About the top of the basin were wreathed the leaves of
lilies, and of the convolvulus, and the tendrils of vines in a circular
manner; and this was the construction of the two mixing bowls of gold,
each containing two firkins (nine gallons or forty litres). But those
which were of silver were much more bright and splendid than
looking-glasses, and you might in them see the images that reflected upon
them more plainly than in the other. The king also ordered thirty vials;
those of which the parts that were of gold, and filled up with precious
stones, were overlaid with the leaves of ivy and of vines, artificially
engraved; and these were the vessels, that were after an extraordinary
manner, brought to this perfection, partly by the skill of the workmen,
who were admirable in such fine work, but much more by the diligence and
generosity of the king, who not only supplied the craftsmen abundantly,
and with great generosity, with what they needed, but he forbade public
audiences for the time, and came and stood by the workmen, and saw the
whole operation. And this was the cause why the workmen were so accurate
in their performance, because they had regard to the king, and to his
great concern about the vessels, and so the more indefatigably applied
themselves to the work. And these were the gifts were sent by Ptolemy to
Jerusalem, and dedicated to God there. But when Eleazar the high priest
had devoted them to God, and had paid due respect to those that brought
them, and had given them presents to be carried to the king, he dismissed
them. And when they were come to Alexandria, and Ptolemy heard that they
were come, and that the seventy elders were come also, he presently sent
for Andreas and Aristeas, his ambassadors, who came to him, and delivered
him the letter which they brought to him from the high priest, and
answered all the questions he put to them by word of mouth. He then made
haste to meet the elders that came from Jerusalem for the interpretation
of the Laws; and he gave command, that everyone who came on other
occasions should be sent away, which was a thing surprising, and what he
did not use to do; for those that were drawn there upon such occasions
used to come to him on the fifth day, but ambassadors at the month’s
end. But when he had sent those away, he waited for these that were sent
by Eleazar; but as the old men came in with the presents, which the high
priest had given them to bring to the king, and with the leather skins,
upon which they had their laws written in golden letters {e} he put
questions to them concerning those books; and when they had taken off the
covers wherein they were wrapped up, they showed him the leather skins. So
the king stood admiring the thinness of those leather skins, and the
exactness of the junctures, which could not be perceived, (so exactly were
they connected one with another;) and this he did for a considerable time.
He then said that he returned them thanks for coming to him, and still
greater thanks to him that sent them, and, above all, to that God whose
laws they appeared to be. Then did the elders, and those who were present
with them, cry out with one voice, and wished all happiness to the king.
Upon which he fell into tears by the violence of the pleasure he had, it
being natural to men to afford the same indications in great joy that they
do under sorrows. And when he had bidden them deliver the books to those
who were appointed to receive them, he greeted the men, and said that it
was but just to discourse, in the first place, of the errand they were
sent about, and then to address himself to themselves. He promised,
however, that he would make this day on which they came to him remarkable
and eminent every year through the whole course of his life; for their
coming to him, and the victory which he gained over Antigonus by sea,
proved to be on the very same day. He also gave orders that they should
sup with him; and ordered that they should have excellent lodgings
provided for them in the upper part of the city. Now he that was appointed
to take care of the reception of strangers, Nicanor by name, called for
Dorotheus, whose duty it was to make provision for them, and bade him
prepare for every one of them what should be required for their meals and
way of living; which thing was ordered by the king after this manner: he
took care that those who belonged to every city, which did not use the
same way of living, that all things should be prepared for them according
to the custom of those who came to him, that, being feasted according to
the usual method of their own way of living, they might be the better
pleased, and might not be uneasy at anything done to them from which they
were naturally averse. And this was now done in the case of these men by
Dorotheus, who was put into this office because of his great skill in such
matters belonging to common life: for he took care of all such matters as
concerned the reception of strangers, and appointed them double seats for
them to sit on, according as the king had commanded him to do; for he had
commanded that half of their seats should be set at his right hand, and
the other half behind his table, and took care that no respect should be
omitted that could be shown to them. And when they were thus set down, he
bade Dorotheus to minister to all those who were come to him from Judea,
after the manner they used to be ministered to: for which cause he sent
away their sacred heralds, and those who slew the sacrifices, and the rest
that used to say grace; but called to one of those who were come to him,
whose name was Eleazar, who was a priest, and desired him to say grace:
{f} who then stood in the midst of them, and prayed, that all prosperity
might attend the king, and those who were his subjects. Upon which an
acclamation was made by the whole company, with joy and a great noise; and
when that was over, they started eating their supper, and to the enjoyment
of what was set before them. And a little later, when the king thought a
sufficient time had been interposed, he began to talk philosophically to
them, and he asked everyone of them a philosophical question, {g} and such
a one as might give light in those inquiries; and when they had explained
all the problems that had been proposed by the king about every point, he
was well pleased with their answers. This took up the twelve days in which
they were treated; and he that pleases may learn the particular questions
in that book of Aristeas, which he wrote on this very occasion. And while
not the king only, but the philosopher Menedemus also, admired them, and
said, that all things were governed by Providence, and that it was
probable that there it was that such force or beauty was discovered in
these men’s words, they then stopped asking any more such questions. But
the king said that he had gained very great advantages by their coming,
for that he had received this profit from them, that he had learned how he
ought to rule his subjects. And he gave orders that they should have every
one three talents given to them, and that those who were to conduct them
to their lodging should do it. Accordingly, when three days were over,
Demetrius took them, and went over the causeway seven furlongs (about a
mile) long: it was a bank in the sea to an island. And when they had gone
over the bridge, he proceeded to the northern parts, and showed them where
they should meet, which was in a house that was built near the shore, and
was a quiet place, and fit for their discoursing together about their
work. When he had brought them there, he entreated them (now they had all
things about them which they wanted for the interpretation of their law)
that they would allow nothing to interrupt them in their work.
Accordingly, they made an accurate interpretation, with great zeal and
great pains, and this they continued to do till the ninth hour of the day;
after which time they relaxed and took care of their body, while their
food was provided for them in great plenty: besides, Dorotheus, at the
king’s command, brought them a great deal of what was provided for the
king himself. But in the morning they came to the court, and greeted
Ptolemy, and then went away to their former place, where, when they had
washed their hands, {h} and purified themselves, they betook themselves to
the interpretation of the Laws. Now when the Law was transcribed, and the
labour of interpretation was over, which came to its conclusion in
seventy-two days, Demetrius gathered all the Jews together to the place
where the Laws were translated, and where the interpreters were, and read
them over. The multitude did also approve of those elders that were the
interpreters of the Law. They commended Demetrius for his proposal, as the
inventor of what was greatly for their happiness; and they desired that he
would give permission to their rulers also to read the law. Moreover, they
all, both the priest and the oldest of the elders, and the principal men
of their commonwealth, made it their request, that since the
interpretation was happily finished, it might continue in the state it now
was, and might not be altered. And when they all commended that
determination of theirs, they enjoined, that if anyone observed either
anything superfluous, or anything omitted, that he would take a view of it
again, and have it laid before them, and corrected; which was a wise
action of theirs, that when the thing was judged to have been well done,
it might continue for ever. So the king rejoiced when he saw that his
design of this nature was brought to perfection, to so great advantage:
and he was chiefly delighted with hearing the Laws read to him; and was
astonished at the deep meaning and wisdom of the legislator. And he began
to discourse with Demetrius, “How it came to pass that, when this
legislation was so wonderful, no one, either of the poets or of the
historians, had made mention of it.” Demetrius replied, “that no one
dared be so bold as to touch upon the description of these Laws, because
they were divine and venerable, and because some that had attempted it
were afflicted by God.” He also told him, that “Theopompus was
desirous of writing something about them, but was thereupon disturbed in
his mind for more than thirty days’ time; and upon some intermission of
his distemper, he appeased God [by prayer], as suspecting that his madness
proceeded from that cause.” Nay, indeed, he further saw in a dream, that
his distemper befell him while he indulged too great a curiosity about
divine matters, and was desirous of publishing them among common men; but
when he stopped that attempt, he recovered his understanding again.
Moreover, he informed him of Theodectes, the tragic poet, concerning whom
it was reported, that when in a certain dramatic representation, he was
desirous to make mention of things that were contained in the sacred
books, he was afflicted with a darkness in his eyes; and that upon his
being conscious of the occasion of his distemper, and appeasing God [by
prayer], he was freed from that affliction. And when the king had received
these books from Demetrius, as we have said already, he adored them, and
gave orders that great care should be taken of them, that they might
remain uncorrupted. He also desired that the interpreters would come often
to him from Judea, and that both on account of the respects that he would
pay them, and on account of the presents he would make to them; for he
said it was now but just to send them away, although if, of their own
accord, they would come to him hereafter, they should obtain all that
their own wisdom might justly require, and what his generosity was able to
give them. So he then sent them away, and gave to everyone of them three
garments of the best sort, and two talents of gold, and a cup of the value
of one talent, and the furniture of the room wherein they were feasted.
And these were the things he presented to them. But by them he sent to
Eleazar the high priest ten beds, with feet of silver, and the furniture
to them belonging, and a cup of the value of thirty talents; and besides
these, ten garments, and purple, and a very beautiful crown, and a hundred
pieces of the finest woven linen; as also vials and dishes, and vessels
for pouring, and two golden mixing bowls to be dedicated to God. He also
desired him, by a letter, that he would give these interpreters
permission, if any of them were desirous, of coming to him; because he
highly valued conversation with men of such learning, and should be very
willing to lay out his wealth upon such men. And this was what came to the
Jews, and was much to their glory and honour, from Ptolemy and
Philadelphus.
Chapter
III
The Jews also obtained honours from the kings of Asia when they became
their auxiliaries; for Seleucus Nicator made them citizens in those cities
which he built in Asia, and in the Lower Syria, and in the metropolis
itself, Antioch; and gave them privileges equal to those of the
Macedonians and Greeks, who were the inhabitants, insomuch that these
privileges continue to this very day; an argument for which you have in
this, that whereas the Jews do not make use of oil prepared by foreigners,
{a} they receive a certain sum of money from the proper officers belonging
to their exercises as the value of that oil; which money, when the people
of Antioch would have deprived them of, in the last war, Mucianus, who was
then president of Syria, maintained it for them. And when the people of
Alexandria and of Antioch did after that, at the time that Vespasian and
Titus his son governed the habitable earth, pray that these privileges of
citizens might be taken away, they did not obtain their request. In which
behaviour anyone may discern the equity and generosity of the Romans, {b}
especially of Vespasian and Titus, who, although they had been at a great
deal of pains in the war against the Jews, and were exasperated against
them, because they did not deliver up their weapons to them, but continued
the war to the very last, yet did not they take away any of their fore
mentioned privileges belonging to them as citizens, but restrained their
anger, and overcame the prayers of the Alexandrians and Antiochians, who
were a very powerful people, insomuch that they did not yield to them,
neither out of their favour to these people, nor out of their old grudge
at those whose wicked opposition they had subdued in the war; nor would
they alter any of the ancient favours granted to the Jews, but said, that
those who had borne arms against them, and fought them, had suffered
punishment already, and that it was not just to deprive those who had not
offended of the privileges they enjoyed. We also know that Marcus Agrippa
was of the like disposition toward the Jews: for when the people of Ionia
were very angry at them, and besought Agrippa that they, and they only,
might have those privileges of citizens, which Antiochus, the grandson of
Seleucus, (who by the Greeks was called The God ,) had bestowed on them;
and desired that, if the Jews were to be joint partakers with them, they
might be obliged to worship the gods they themselves worshipped: but when
these matters were brought to the trial, the Jews prevailed, and obtained
permission to make use of their own customs, and this under the patronage
of Nicolaus of Damascus; for Agrippa gave sentence that he could not make
a new rule. And if anyone has a mind to know this matter accurately, let
him peruse the hundred and twenty-third and hundred and twenty-fourth
books of the history of this Nicolaus. Now as to this determination of
Agrippa, it is not so much to be admired, for at that time our nation had
not made war against the Romans. But one may well be astonished at the
generosity of Vespasian and Titus, that after so great wars and contests
which they had from us, they should use such moderation. But I will now
return to that part of my history from where I made the present
digression. Now it happened that in the reign of Antiochus the Great, who
ruled over all Asia, that the Jews, as well as the inhabitants of
Coelesyria, suffered greatly, and their land was sorely harassed; for
while he was at war with Ptolemy Philopater, and with his son, who was
called Epiphanes, it happened that these nations were equally sufferers,
both when he was beaten, and when he beat the others: so that they were
very like to a ship in a storm, which is tossed by the waves on both
sides: and just thus were they in their situation in the middle between
Antiochus’ prosperity and its change to adversity. But at length, when
Antiochus had beaten Ptolemy, he seized upon Judea: and when Philopater
was dead, his son sent out a great army under Scopas, the general of his
forces, against the inhabitants of Coelesyria, who took many of their
cities, and in particular our nation; which, when he attacked them, went
over to him. Yet was it not long afterward when Antiochus overcame Scopas,
in a battle fought at the fountains of Jordan, and destroyed a great part
of his army. But afterward, when Antiochus subdued those cities of
Coelesyria which Scopas had gotten into his possession, and Samaria with
them, the Jews, of their own accord, went over to him, and received him
into the city of [Jerusalem], and gave plentiful provisions to all his
army, and to his elephants, and readily assisted him when he besieged the
garrison which was in the citadel in Jerusalem. Therefore Antiochus
thought it but just to requite the Jews’ diligence and zeal in his
service: so he wrote to the generals of his armies, and to his friends,
and testified to the good behaviour of the Jews toward him, and informed
them what rewards he had resolved to bestow on them for their behaviour. I
will set down presently the letters themselves which he wrote to the
generals concerning them, but will first produce the testimony of Polybius
of Megalopolis; for thus does he speak, in the sixteenth book of his
history:—“Now Scopas, the general of Ptolemy’s army, went in haste
to the upper parts of the country, and in the winter time overthrew the
nation of the Jews.” He also says, in the same book, that “when Scopas
was conquered by Antiochus, Antiochus received Batanea, and Samaria, and
Abila, and Gadara; and that, a while afterward, there came in to him those
Jews that inhabited near that temple which was called Jerusalem;
concerning which, although I have more to say, and particularly concerning
the presence of God about that temple, yet do I put off that history till
another opportunity.” This it is which Polybius relates; but we will
return to the series of the history, when we have first produced the
letters of King Antiochus. “King Antiochus to Ptolemy, sends greetings:—Since
the Jews, upon our first entrance on their country, demonstrated their
friendship toward us; and when we came to their city of [Jerusalem],
received us in a splendid manner, and came to meet us with their elders,
and gave abundance of provisions to our soldiers, and to the elephants,
and joined with us in ejecting the garrison of the Egyptians that were in
the citadel, we have thought fit to reward them, and to retrieve the
condition of their city, which has been greatly depopulated by such
accidents as have befallen its inhabitants, and to bring those who have
been scattered abroad back to the city; and, in the first place, we have
determined, on account of their piety toward God, to bestow on them, as a
pension, for their sacrifices of animals that are fit for sacrifice, for
wine and oil, and frankincense, the value of twenty thousand pieces of
silver, and [six] sacred artabrae (about litres) of fine flour, with one
thousand four hundred and sixty medimni ( medimni = litres) of wheat, and
three hundred and seventy-five medimni of salt; and these payments I would
have fully paid them, as I have sent orders to you. I would also have the
work about the temple finished, and the cloisters, and if there be
anything else that ought to be rebuilt; and for the materials of wood, let
it be brought to them out of Judea itself and out of the other countries,
and out of Libanus tax free; and the same I would have observed as to
those other materials which will be necessary, in order to render the
temple more glorious; and let all of that nation live according to the
laws of their own country; and let the elders, and the priests, and the
scribes of the temple, and the sacred singers, be discharged from poll
money and the crown tax and other taxes also; and that the city may the
sooner recover its inhabitants, I grant a discharge from taxes for three
years to its present inhabitants, and to such as shall come to it, until
the month of Hyperberetaios. We also discharge them for the future from a
third part of their taxes, that the losses they have sustained may be
repaired; and all those citizens that have been carried away, and have
become slaves, we grant them and their children their freedom; and order
that their substance be restored to them.” And these were the contents
of this letter. He also published a decree, through all his kingdom in
honour of the temple, which contained what follows: “It shall be lawful
for no foreigner to come within the limits of the temple around about;
which thing is forbidden also to the Jews, unless to those who, according
to their own custom, have purified themselves. Nor let any flesh of
horses, or of mules, or of asses be brought into the city, whether they be
wild or tame; nor that of leopards, or foxes, or hares; and, in general,
that of any animal which is forbidden for the Jews to eat. Nor let their
skins be brought into it; nor let any such animal be bred up in the city.
Let them only be permitted to use the sacrifices derived from their
forefathers, with which they have been obliged to make acceptable
atonements to God. And he that transgresses any of these orders, let him
pay to the priests three thousand drachmas of silver.” Moreover, this
Antiochus bare testimony to our piety and fidelity, in a letter of his,
written when he was informed of a sedition in Phrygia and Lydia, at which
time he was in the upper provinces, wherein he commanded Zeuxis, the
general of his forces, and his most intimate friend, to send some of our
nation out of Babylon into Phrygia. The letter was this:— King Antiochus
to Zeuxis his father, sends greetings. “If you are in health, it is
well. I also am in health. Having been informed that a sedition has arisen
in Lydia and Phrygia, I thought that matter required great care; and upon
advising with my friends what was fit to be done, it has been thought
proper to remove two thousand families of Jews, with their effects, out of
Mesopotamia and Babylon, to the citadels and places that lie most
convenient; for I am persuaded that they will be well disposed guardians
of our possessions, because of their piety toward God, and because I know
that my predecessors have borne witness to them, that they are faithful,
and with alacrity do what they are desired to do. I will, therefore,
though it be a laborious work, that you remove these Jews; under a promise
that they shall be permitted to use their own laws; and when you shall
have brought them to the places before mentioned, you shall give everyone
of their families a place for building their houses, and a portion of the
land for their husbandry, and for the plantation of their vines; and you
shall discharge them from paying taxes of the fruits of the earth for ten
years; and let them have a proper quantity of wheat for the maintenance of
their servants, until they receive grain out of the earth; also let a
sufficient share be given to such as minister to them in the necessities
of life, that by enjoying the effects of our humanity, they may show
themselves the more willing and ready about our affairs. Take care
likewise of that nation, as far as you are able, that they may not have
any disturbance given them by anyone.” Now these testimonials which I
have produced are sufficient to declare the friendship that Antiochus the
Great bore to the Jews.
Chapter
IV
After this Antiochus made a friendship and league with Ptolemy, and gave
him his daughter Cleopatra to wife, and yielded up to him Coelesyria, and
Samaria, and Judea, and Phoenicia, by way of dowry; and, upon the division
of the taxes between the two kings, all the principal men farmed the taxes
of their various countries, and collecting the sum that was settled for
them, paid the same to the [two] kings. Now at this time the Samaritans
were in a flourishing condition, and much distressed the Jews, cutting off
parts of their land, and carrying off slaves. This happened when Onias was
high priest; for after Eleazar’s death, his uncle Manasseh took the
priesthood, and after he had died, Onias received that dignity. He was the
son of Simon, who was called The Just ; this Simon was the brother of
Eleazar, as I said before. This Onias was one of a little soul, and a
great lover of money; and for that reason, because he did not pay that tax
of twenty talents of silver, which his forefathers paid to these kings out
of their own estates, he provoked King Ptolemy Euergetes to anger, who was
the father of Philopater. Euergetes sent an ambassador to Jerusalem, and
complained that Onias did not pay his taxes, and threatened, that if he
did not receive them, he would seize upon their land, and send soldiers to
live upon it. When the Jews heard this message of the king, they were
confounded; but so sordidly covetous was Onias, that nothing of things
nature made him ashamed. There was now one Joseph, young in age, but of
great reputation among the people of Jerusalem, for gravity, prudence, and
justice. His father’s name was Tobias; and his mother was the sister of
Onias, the high priest, who informed him of the coming of the ambassador;
for he was then sojourning at a village named Phicol, {a} where he was
born. Hereupon he came to the city of [Jerusalem], and reproved Onias for
not taking care of the preservation of his countrymen, but bringing the
nation into dangers, by not paying this money. For which preservation of
them, he told him he had received the authority over them, and had been
made high priest; but that, in case he was so great a lover of money, as
to endure to see his country in danger on that account, and his countrymen
suffer the greatest damages, he advised him to go to the king, and
petition him to remit either the whole or a part of the sum demanded.
Onias’ answer was this: that he did not care for his authority, and that
he was ready, if the thing were practicable, to lay down his high
priesthood; and that he would not go to the king, because he troubled not
himself at all about such matters. Joseph then asked him if he would not
give him permission to go as an ambassador on behalf of the nation; he
replied, that he would give him permission. Upon which Joseph went up into
the temple, and called the multitude together to a congregation, and
exhorted them not to be disturbed nor frightened, because of his uncle
Onias’ carelessness, but desired them to be at rest, and not terrify
themselves with fear about it; for he promised them that he would be their
ambassador to the king, and persuade him that they had done him no wrong;
and when the multitude heard this, they returned thanks to Joseph. So he
went down from the temple, and treated Ptolemy’s ambassador in a
hospitable manner. He also presented him with rich gifts, and feasted him
magnificently for many days, and then sent him to the king before him, and
told him that he would soon follow him; for he was now more willing to go
to the king, by the encouragement of the ambassador, who earnestly
persuaded him to come into Egypt, and promised him that he would take care
that he should obtain everything that he desired of Ptolemy; for he was
highly pleased with his frank and liberal temper, and with the gravity of
his deportment. When Ptolemy’s ambassador was come into Egypt, he told
the king of the arrogant behaviour of Onias; and informed him of the
goodness of the disposition of Joseph; and that he was coming to him, to
excuse the multitude, as not having done him any harm, for that he was
their patron. In short, he was so very large in his encomiums upon the
young man, that he disposed both the king and his wife Cleopatra to have a
kindness for him before he came. So Joseph sent to his friends at Samaria,
and borrowed money from them; and got ready what was necessary for his
journey, garments and cups, and beasts for burden, which amounted to about
twenty thousand drachmas, and went to Alexandria. Now it happened that at
this time all the principal men and rulers went up out of the cities of
Syria and Phoenicia, to bid for their taxes; for every year the king sold
them to the men of the greatest power in every city. So these men saw
Joseph journeying on the way, and laughed at him for his poverty and
meanness; but when he came to Alexandria, and heard that King Ptolemy was
at Memphis, be went up there to meet with him; which happened as the king
was sitting in his chariot, with his wife, and with his friend Athenion,
who was the very person who had been ambassador at Jerusalem, and had been
entertained by Joseph. As soon, therefore, as Athenion saw him, he
presently made him known to the king, how good and generous a young man he
was. So Ptolemy greeted him first, and desired him to come up into his
chariot; and as Joseph sat there, he began to complain about the actions
of Onias: to which he answered, “Forgive him, on account of his age; for
you can not certainly be unacquainted with this, that old men and infants
have their minds exactly alike; but you shall have from us, who are young
men, everything you desire, and shalt have no cause to complain.” With
this good humour and pleasantry of the young man, the king was so
delighted, that he began already, as though he had had long experience of
him, to have a still greater affection for him, insomuch that he bade him
take his meals in the king’s palace, and be a guest at his own table
every day; but when the king was come to Alexandria, the principal men of
Syria saw him sitting with the king, and were much offended by it. And
when the day came on which the king was to sell the rights to collect the
taxes of the cities, and those who were the principal men of dignity in
their various countries were to bid for them, the sum of the taxes
together, of Coelesyria, and Phoenicia, and Judea, with Samaria, [as they
were bidden for,] came to eight thousand talents. Hereupon Joseph accused
the bidders, as having agreed together to estimate the value of the taxes
at too low a rate; and he promised that he would himself give twice as
much for them: but for those who did not pay, he would send the king home
their whole substance; for this privilege was sold together with the taxes
themselves. The king was pleased to hear that offer; and, because it
augmented his revenues, he said he would confirm the sale of the taxes to
him; but when he asked him this question, whether he had any sureties that
would be bound for the payment of the money? he answered very pleasantly,
“I will give such security, and those of persons good and responsible,
and which you shall have no reason to distrust;” and when he bade him
name them who they were, he replied, “I give you no other persons, O
king, for my sureties, than yourself, and this your wife; and you shall be
security for both parties.” So Ptolemy laughed at the proposal, and
granted him the right to collect the taxes without any sureties. This
procedure was a sore grief to those who came from the cities into Egypt,
who were utterly disappointed; and they returned everyone to their own
country with shame. But Joseph took with him two thousand foot soldiers
from the king, for he desired he might have some assistance, in order to
force such as were refractory in the cities to pay. And borrowing from the
king’s friends at Alexandria five hundred talents, he made haste back
into Syria. And when he was at Askelon, and demanded the taxes of the
people of Askelon, they refused to pay anything, and affronted him also;
upon which he seized about twenty of the principal men, and slew them, and
gathered what they had together, and sent it all to the king, and informed
him what he had done. Ptolemy admired the prudent conduct of the man, and
commended him for what he had done; and gave him permission to do as he
pleased. When the Syrians heard of this, they were astonished; and having
before them a sad example in the men of Askelon that were slain, they
opened their gates, and willingly admitted Joseph, and paid their taxes.
And when the inhabitants of Scythopolis attempted to affront him, and
would not pay him those taxes which they formerly used to pay, without
disputing about them, he slew also the principal men of that city, and
sent their effects to the king. By this means he gathered great wealth
together, and made vast gains by collecting taxes; and he made use of what
estate he had thus gotten, in order to support his authority, as thinking
it a piece of prudence to keep what had been the occasion and foundation
of his present good fortune; and this he did by the assistance of what he
was already possessed of, for he secretly sent many presents to the king,
and to Cleopatra, and to their friends, and to all that were powerful
about the court, and thereby purchased their goodwill to himself. This
good fortune he enjoyed for twenty-two years, and was become the father of
seven sons by one wife; he had also another son, whose name was Hyrcanus,
by his brother Solymius’ daughter, whom he married on the following
occasion:—He once came to Alexandria with his brother, who had along
with him a daughter already marriageable, in order to give her in wedlock
to some of the Jews of chief dignity there. He then supped with the king,
and falling in love with a dancing girl that was of great beauty, and came
into the room where they feasted, he told his brother of it, and entreated
him, because a Jew is forbidden by their law to come near to a foreigner,
to conceal his offence; and to be kind and subservient to him, and to give
him an opportunity of fulfilling his desires. Upon which his brother
willingly entertained the proposal of serving him, and adorned his own
daughter, and brought her to him by night, and put her into his bed. And
Joseph, being disordered with drink, knew not who she was, and so lay with
his brother’s daughter; and this did he many times, and loved her
exceedingly; and said to his brother, that he loved this dancing girl so
well, that he should run the hazard of his life [if he must part with
her], and yet probably the king would not give him permission [to take her
with him]. But his brother bade him be in no concern about that matter,
and told him he might enjoy her whom he loved without any danger, and
might have her for his wife; and opened the truth of the matter to him,
and assured him that he chose rather to have his own daughter abused, than
to overlook him, and see him come to [public] disgrace. So Joseph
commended him for his brotherly love, and married his daughter, and by her
begat a son, whose name was Hyrcanus, as we said before. And when his
youngest son showed, at thirteen years old, a mind that was both
courageous and wise, and was greatly envied by his brethren, as being of a
genius much above them, and such a one as they might well envy, Joseph had
once a mind to know which of his sons had the best disposition to virtue;
and when he sent them individually to those who had then the best
reputation for instructing youth, the rest of his children, by reason of
their sloth and unwillingness to take pains, returned to him foolish and
unlearned. After them he sent out the youngest, Hyrcanus, and gave him
three hundred yoke of oxen, and bade him go two days’ journey into the
wilderness, and sow the land there, and yet kept back secretly the yokes
of the oxen that coupled them together. When Hyrcanus came to the place,
and found he had no yokes with him, he ignored the drivers of the oxen,
who advised him to send some to his father, to bring them some yokes; but
he thinking that he ought not to lose his time while they should be sent
to bring him the yokes, he invented a kind of stratagem, and what suited
an age older than his own; for he slew ten yoke of the oxen, and
distributed their flesh among the labourers, and cut their hides into
several pieces, and made yokes, and yoked the oxen together with them; by
which means he sowed as much land as his father had appointed him to sow,
and returned to him. And when he was come back, his father was mightily
pleased with his sagacity, and commended the sharpness of his
understanding, and his boldness in what he did. And he still loved him the
more, as if he were his only genuine son, while his brothers were much
troubled by it. But when one told him that Ptolemy had a son just born,
and that all the principal men of Syria, and the other countries subject
to him, were to keep a festival, on account of the child’s birthday, and
went away in haste with great retinues to Alexandria, he was himself
indeed hindered from going by old age; but he tested his sons, whether any
of them would be willing to go to the king. And when the older sons
excused themselves from going, and said they were not courtiers good
enough for such conversation, and advised him to send their brother
Hyrcanus, he gladly listened to that advice, and called Hyrcanus, and
asked him, whether he would go to the king; and whether it was agreeable
to him to go or not. And upon his promise that he would go, and his saying
that he should not need much money for his journey, because he would live
moderately, and that ten thousand drachmas would be sufficient, he was
pleased with his son’s prudence. After a little while, the son advised
his father not to send his presents to the king from there, but to give
him a letter to his steward at Alexandria, that he might furnish him with
money, for purchasing what should be most excellent and most precious. So
he, thinking that the expense of ten talents would be enough for presents
to be made the king, and commending his son, as giving him good advice,
wrote to Arion his steward, that managed all his money matters at
Alexandria; which money was not less than three thousand talents on his
account, for Joseph sent the money he received in Syria to Alexandria. And
when the day appointed for the payment of the taxes to the king came, he
wrote to Arion to pay them. So when the son had asked his father for a
letter to the steward, and had received it, he made haste to Alexandria.
And when he was gone, his brethren wrote to all the king’s friends, that
they should kill him. But when he was come to Alexandria, he delivered his
letter to Arion, who asked him how many talents he would have (hoping he
would ask for no more than ten, or a little more); he said, he wanted a
thousand talents. At which the steward was angry, and rebuked him, as one
that intended to live extravagantly; and he let him know how his father
had gathered together his estate by painstaking, and resisting his
inclinations, and wished him to imitate the example of his father: he
assured him, that he would give him but ten talents, and that for a
present to the king also. The son was irritated at this, and threw Arion
into prison. But when Arion’s wife had informed Cleopatra of this, with
her entreaty, that she would rebuke the child for what he had done, (for
Arion was in great esteem with her,) Cleopatra informed the king of it.
And Ptolemy sent for Hyrcanus, and told him that he wondered, when he was
sent to him by his father, that he had not yet come into his presence, but
had laid the steward in prison. And he gave orders, therefore, that he
should come to him, and give an account of the reason of what he had done.
And they report that the answer he made to the king’s messenger was
this:—That “there was a law of his that forbade a child that was born
to taste of the sacrifice, before he had been at the temple and sacrificed
to God. According to which way of reasoning, he did not himself come to
him, in expectation of the present he was to make to him, as to one who
had been his father’s benefactor; and that he had punished the slave for
disobeying his commands, for that it mattered not whether a master was
little or great: so that unless we punish such as these, you yourself may
also expect to be despised by your subjects.” Upon hearing his answer he
starting a laughing, and admired the high spirit of the child. When Arion
was apprized that this was the king’s disposition, and that he had no
way to help himself, he gave the child a thousand talents, and was let out
of prison. So after three days were over, Hyrcanus came and greeted the
king and queen. They saw him with pleasure, and feasted him in an obliging
manner, out of the respect they bore to his father. So he came to the
merchants secretly, and bought a hundred boys, that had learning, and were
in the flower of their ages, each at a talent apiece; as also he bought a
hundred maidens, each at the same price as the other. And when he was
invited to feast with the king among the principal men in the country, he
sat down the lowest of them all, because he was little regarded, as a
child in age still; and this by those who placed everyone according to
their dignity. Now when all those who sat with him had laid the bones Of
the various parts on a heap before Hyrcanus, (for they had themselves
taken away the flesh belonging to them,) till the table where he sat was
filled full with them, Tryphon, who was the king’s jester, and was
appointed for jokes and laughter at festivals, was now asked by the guests
that sat at the table [to expose him to laughter]. So he stood by the
king, and said, “Do you not see, my lord, the bones that lie by
Hyrcanus? by this similitude you may conjecture that his father made all
Syria as bare as he has made these bones.” And the king laughing at what
Tryphon said, and asking of Hyrcanus how he came to have so many bones
before him? he replied, “Very rightfully, my lord; for they are dogs
that eat the flesh and the bones together, as these your guests have done,
(looking in the meantime at those guests,) for there is nothing before
them; but they are men that eat the flesh, and cast away the hones, as I,
who am also a man, have now done.” Upon which the king admired his
answer, which was so wisely made; and bade them all make an acclamation,
as a mark of their approbation of his jest, which was truly a facetious
one. On the next day Hyrcanus went to everyone of the king’s friends,
and of the men powerful at court, and greeted them; but still inquired of
the servants what present they would make the king on his son’s
birthday; and when some said that they would give twelve talents, and that
others of greater dignity would everyone give according to the quantity of
their riches, he pretended to everyone of them to be grieved that he was
not able to bring so large a present; for that he had no more than five
talents. And when the servants heard what he said, they told their
masters; and they rejoiced in the prospect that Joseph would be judged
unfavourably, and would make the king angry, by the smallness of his
present. When the day came, the others, even those who brought the most,
offered the king not more than twenty talents; but Hyrcanus gave to
everyone of the hundred boys and hundred maidens that he had bought a
talent apiece, for them to carry, and introduced them, the boys to the
king, and the maidens to Cleopatra; everyone wondering at the unexpected
richness of the presents, even the king and queen themselves. He also
presented those who attended around the king with gifts to the value of a
great number of talents, that he might escape the danger he was in from
them; for to these it was that Hyrcanus’ brethren had written to kill
him. Now Ptolemy admired the young man’s magnanimity, and commanded him
to ask what gift he pleased. But he desired nothing else to be done for
him by the king than to write to his father and brethren about him. So
when the king had paid him very great respects, and had given him very
large gifts, and had written to his father and his brethren, and all his
commanders and officers, about him, he sent him away. But when his
brethren heard that Hyrcanus had received such favours from the king, and
was returning home with great honour, they went out to meet him, and to
kill him, and that with the knowledge of their father; for he was angry at
him for the [large] sum of money that he bestowed for presents, and so had
no concern for his preservation. However, Joseph concealed the anger he
had at his son, out of fear of the king. And when Hyrcanus’ brethren
came to fight him, he slew many others of those who were with them, as
also two of his brethren themselves; but the rest of them escaped to
Jerusalem to their father. But when Hyrcanus came to the city, where no
one would receive him, he was afraid for himself, and retired beyond the
river Jordan, and there abode; but obliging the barbarians to pay their
taxes. At this time Seleucus, who was called Soter, reigned over Asia,
being the son of Antiochus the Great. And [now] Hyrcanus’ father,
Joseph, died. He was a good man, and of great magnanimity; and brought the
Jews out of a state of poverty and lowliness, to one that was more
splendid. He retained the right to collect the taxes of Syria, and
Phoenicia, and Samaria twenty-two years. His uncle also, Onias, died
[about this time], and left the high priesthood to his son Simeon. And
when he was dead, Onias, his son, succeeded him in that dignity. To him it
was that Areus, king of the Lacedemonians, sent an embassy, with a letter;
the copy whereof here follows: “Areus, king of the Lacedemonians, to
Onias, sends greetings. We have met with a certain writing, whereby we
have discovered that both the Jews and the Lacedemonians are of the same
family, and are derived from the kindred of Abraham. {b} It is but just,
therefore, that you, who are our brethren, should send to us about any of
your concerns as you please. We will also do the same thing, and esteem
your concerns as our own, and will look upon our concerns as in common
with yours. Demotoles, who brings you this letter, will bring your answer
back to us. This letter is four square; and the seal is an eagle, with a
dragon in his claws.” And these were the contents of the letter which
was sent from the king of the Lacedemonians. But upon the death of Joseph,
the people grew seditious, on account of his sons; for whereas the older
brothers made war against Hyrcanus, who was the youngest of Joseph’s
sons, the multitude was divided, but the greater part joined with the
older brothers in this war; as did Simon the high priest, by reason he was
of kin to them. However, Hyrcanus determined not to return to Jerusalem
any more, but settled beyond Jordan, and was at perpetual war with the
Arabians, and slew many of them, and took many of them captives. He also
erected a strong citadel, and built it entirely of white stone to the very
roof, and had animals of a gigantic size engraved upon it. He also
enclosed it a wide and deep canal of water. He also made caves of many
hundreds of yards in length, by hollowing a rock that was opposite him;
and then he made large rooms in it, some for feasting, and some for
sleeping and living in. He introduced also a vast quantity of waters which
ran along it, and which were very delightful and ornamental in the court.
But still he made the entrances at the mouth of the caves so narrow, that
no more than one person could enter by them at once. And the reason why he
built them after that manner was a good one; it was for his own
preservation, lest he should be besieged by his brethren, and run the
hazard of being caught by them. Moreover, he built courts of greater size
than ordinary, which he adorned with vastly large gardens. And when he had
brought the place to this state, he named it Tyre. This place is between
Arabia and Judea, beyond Jordan, not far from the country of Heshbon. And
he ruled over those regions for seven years, even all the time that
Seleucus was king of Syria. But when he was dead, his brother Antiochus,
who was called Epiphanes, took the kingdom. Ptolemy also, the king of
Egypt, died, who was also called Epiphanes. He left two sons, and both
young in age; the older of which was called Philometer, and the younger
Physcon. As for Hyrcanus, when he saw that Antiochus had a great army, and
feared lest he should be caught by him, and brought to punishment for what
he had done to the Arabians, he committed suicide with his own hands;
while Antiochus seized upon all his substance.
Chapter
V
About this time, upon the death of Onias the high priest, they gave the
high priesthood to Jesus his brother; for that son which Onias left [or
Onias IV.] was yet but an infant; and, in its proper place, we will inform
the reader of all the circumstances that befell this child. But this
Jesus, who was the brother of Onias, was deprived of the high priesthood
by the king, who was angry with him, and gave it to his younger brother,
whose name also was Onias; for Simon had these three sons, to each of
which the priesthood came, as we have already informed the reader. {a}
This Jesus changed his name to Jason, but Onias was called Menelaus. Now
as the former high priest, Jesus, raised a sedition against Menelaus, who
was ordained after him, the multitude was divided between them both. And
the sons of Tobias took the part of Menelaus, but the greater number of
the people assisted Jason; and by that means Menelaus and the sons of
Tobias were distressed, and retired to Antiochus, and informed him that
they were desirous to leave the laws of their country, and the Jewish way
of living according to them, and to follow the king’s laws, and the
Greek way of living. Therefore they desired his permission to build them a
gymnasium at Jerusalem. {b} And when he had given them permission, they
also hid the circumcision of their genitals, that even when they were
naked they might appear to be Greeks. Accordingly, they abandoned all the
customs that belonged to their own country, and imitated the practices of
the other nations. Now Antiochus, upon the agreeable situation of the
affairs of his kingdom, resolved to make an expedition against Egypt, both
because he had a desire to gain it, and because he held in contempt the
sons of Ptolemy, as now weak, and not yet of abilities to manage affairs
of such consequence; so he came with great forces to Pelusium, and
circumvented Ptolemy Philometor by treachery, and seized upon Egypt. He
then came to the places around Memphis; and when he had taken them, he
made haste to Alexandria, in hopes of taking it by siege, and of subduing
Ptolemy, who reigned there. But he was driven not only from Alexandria,
but out of all Egypt, by the declaration of the Romans, who charged him to
leave that country alone; according, as I have elsewhere formerly
declared, I will now give a particular account of what concerns this king,
how he subdued Judea and the temple; for in my former work I mentioned
those things very briefly, and have therefore now thought it necessary to
go over that history again, and that with great accuracy. King Antiochus
returning out of Egypt {c} for fear of the Romans, made an expedition
against the city of Jerusalem; and when he was there, in the hundred and
forty-third year of the kingdom of the Seleucids, he took the city without
fighting, those of his own party opening the gates to him. And when he had
gotten possession of Jerusalem, he slew many of the opposite party; and
when he had plundered it of a great deal of money, he returned to Antioch.
Now it came to pass, after two years, in the hundred forty and fifth year,
on the twenty-fifth day of that month which is by us called Chisleu, and
by the Macedonians Apellaios, in the hundred and fifty-third Olympiad,
that the king came up to Jerusalem, and, pretending peace, he got
possession of the city by treachery: at which time he spared not so much
as those who admitted him into it, on account of the riches that lay in
the temple: but, led by his covetous inclination, (for he saw there was in
it a great deal of gold, and many ornaments that had been dedicated to it
of very great value,) and in order to plunder its wealth, he ventured to
break the league he had made. So he left the temple bare, and took away
the golden lampstands, and the golden altar [of incense], and table [of
showbread], and the altar [of burnt offering]; and did not abstain from
even the veils, which were made of fine linen and scarlet. He also emptied
it of its secret treasures, and left nothing at all remaining; and by this
means cast the Jews into great lamentation, for he forbade them to offer
those daily sacrifices which they used to offer to God, according to the
Law. And when he had pillaged the whole city, some of the inhabitants he
slew, and some he carried captive, together with their wives and children,
so that the multitude of those captives that were taken alive amounted to
about ten thousand. He also burnt down the finest buildings; and when he
had overthrown the city walls, he built a citadel in the lower part of the
city, {d} for the place was high, and overlooked the temple, on which
account he fortified it with high walls and towers, and put into it a
garrison of Macedonians. However, in that citadel dwelt the impious and
wicked part of the [Jewish] multitude, from whom it proved that the
citizens suffered many and sore calamities. And when the king had built an
idol altar upon God’s altar, he slew swine upon it, and so offered a
sacrifice neither according to the Law, nor the Jewish religious worship
in that country. He also compelled them to forsake the worship which they
paid their own God, and to adore those whom he took to be gods; and made
them build temples, and raise idol altars in every city and village, and
offer swine upon them every day. He also commanded them not to circumcise
their sons, and threatened to punish any that should be found to have
transgressed his injunction. He also appointed overseers, who should
compel them to do what he commanded. And, indeed, many Jews there were who
complied with the king’s commands, either voluntarily, or out of fear of
the penalty that was pronounced. But the best men, and those of the
noblest souls, did not regard him, but did pay a greater respect to the
customs of their country than concern as to the punishment which he
threatened to the disobedient; on which account they every day underwent
great miseries and bitter torments; for they were whipped with rods, and
their bodies were torn to pieces, and were crucified, while they were
still alive, and breathed: they also strangled those women and their sons
whom they had circumcised, as the king had appointed, hanging their sons
about their necks as they were upon the crosses. And if there were any
sacred books of the Law found, it was destroyed, and those with whom they
were found miserably perished also. When the Samaritans saw the Jews under
these sufferings, they no longer confessed that they were of their
kindred, nor that the temple on Mount Gerizim belonged to Almighty God.
This was according to their nature, as we have already shown. And they now
said that they were a colony of Medes and Persians; and, indeed they were
a colony of theirs. So they sent ambassadors to Antiochus, and a letter,
whose contents are these: “To King Antiochus the god, Epiphanes, a
memorial from the Sidonians, who live at Shechem. Our forefathers, upon
certain frequent plagues, and as following a certain ancient superstition,
had a custom of observing that day which by the Jews is called the
Sabbath. {e} And when they had erected a temple at the mountain called
Gerizim, though without a name, they offered upon it the proper
sacrifices. Now, upon the just treatment of these wicked Jews, those who
manage their affairs, supposing that we were of kin to them, and practised
as they do, make us liable to the same accusations, although we be
originally Sidonians, as is evident from the public records. We therefore
beseech you, our benefactor and Saviour, to order to Apollonius, the
governor of this part of the country, and to Nicanor, the procurator of
your affairs, to give us no disturbance, nor to lay to our charge what the
Jews are accused for, since we are aliens from their nation, and from
their customs; but let our temple, which at present has no name at all be
named the Temple of Jupiter Hellenius. If this were once done, we should
be no longer disturbed, but should be more intent on our own occupation
with quietness, and so bring in a greater revenue to you.” When the
Samaritans had petitioned for this, the king sent them back the following
answer, in a letter: “King Antiochus to Nicanor. The Sidonians, who live
at Shechem, have sent me the memorial enclosed. When therefore we were
advising with our friends about it, the messengers sent by them
represented to us that they are in no way concerned with accusations which
belong to the Jews, but choose to live after the customs of the Greeks.
Accordingly, we declare them free from such accusations, and order that,
agreeable to their petition, that their temple be named the Temple of
Jupiter Hellenius.” He also sent the like letter to Apollonius, the
governor of that part of the country, in the forty-sixth year, and the
eighteenth day of the month of Hekatombaios.
Chapter
VI
Now at this time there was one whose name was Mattathias, who dwelt at
Modin, the son of John, the son of Simeon, the son of Asamoneus, a priest
of the order of Joarib, and a citizen of Jerusalem. He had five sons:
John, who was called Gaddis, and Simon, who was called Matthias, and
Judas, who was called Maccabeus, {a} and Eleazar, who was called Auran,
and Jonathan, who was called Apphus. Now this Mattathias lamented to his
children the sad state of their affairs, and the ravage made in the city,
and the plundering of the temple, and the calamities the multitude were
under; and he told them that it was better for them to die for the laws of
their country, than to live so ingloriously as they then did. But when
those who were appointed by the king were come to Modin, that they might
compel the Jews to do what they were commanded, and to enjoin those who
were there to offer sacrifice, as the king had commanded, they desired
that Mattathias, a person of the greatest character among them, both on
other accounts, and particularly on account of such a numerous and so
deserving a family of children, would begin the sacrifice because his
fellow citizens would follow his example, and because such a procedure
would make him honoured by the king. But Mattathias said he would not do
it; and that if all the other nations would obey the commands of
Antiochus, either out of fear, or to please him, yet would not he nor his
sons leave the religious worship of their country. But as soon as he had
ended his speech, there came one of the Jews into the midst of them, and
sacrificed, as Antiochus had commanded. At which Mattathias had great
indignation, and ran upon him violently, with his sons, who had swords
with them, and slew both the man himself who sacrificed, and Apelles the
king’s general, who compelled them to sacrifice, with a few of his
soldiers. He also overthrew the idol altar, and cried out, “If,” said
he, “anyone be zealous for the laws of his country, and for the worship
of God, let him follow me.” And when he had said this, he made haste
into the desert with his sons, and left all his substance in the village.
Many others did the same also, and fled with their children and wives into
the desert, and dwelt in caves. But when the king’s generals heard this,
they took all the forces they then had in the citadel at Jerusalem, and
pursued the Jews into the desert; and when they had overtaken them, they
in the first place endeavoured to persuade them to repent, and to choose
what was most for their advantage, and not put them to the necessity of
using them according to the law of war; but when they would not comply
with their persuasions, but continued to be of a different mind, they
fought against them on the Sabbath day, and they burnt them as they were
in the caves, without resistance, and without so much as plugging up the
entrances of the caves. And they refused to defend themselves on that day,
because they were not willing to break in upon the honour they owed the
Sabbath, even in such distresses; for our Law requires that we rest upon
that day. There were about a thousand, with their wives and children, who
were smothered and died in these caves; but many of those who escaped
joined themselves to Mattathias, and appointed him to be their ruler, who
taught them to fight, even on the Sabbath day; and told them, that unless
they would do so, they would become their own enemies, by observing the
Law [so rigorously], while their adversaries would still assault them on
this day, and they would not then defend themselves; and that nothing
could then hinder but they must all perish without fighting. This speech
persuaded them. And this rule continues among us to this day, that if
there be a necessity, we may fight on Sabbath days. So Mattathias got a
great army about him, and overthrew their idol altars, and slew those who
broke the laws, even all that he could get under his power; for many of
them were dispersed among the nations around them for fear of him. He also
commanded that those boys which were not yet circumcised should be
circumcised now; and he drove those away that were appointed to hinder
their circumcision. But when he had ruled one year, and was fallen into a
distemper, he called for his sons, and set them around him, and said, “O
my sons, I am going the way of all the earth; and I recommend to you my
resolution, and beseech you not to be negligent in keeping it, but to be
mindful of the desires of him who begat you, and brought you up, and to
preserve the customs of your country, and to recover your ancient form of
government, which is in danger of being overturned, and not to be carried
away with those who, either by their own inclination, or out of necessity,
betray it, but to become such sons as are worthy of me; to be above all
force and necessity, and so to dispose your souls, as to be ready, when it
shall be necessary, to die for your laws; as sensible of this, by just
reasoning, that if God see that you are so disposed, he will not overlook
you, but will have a great value for your virtue, and will restore to you
again what you have lost, and will return to you that freedom in which you
shall live quietly, and enjoy your own customs. Your bodies are mortal,
and subject to fate; but they receive a sort of immortality, by the
remembrance of what actions they have done; and I would have you so in
love with this immortality, that you may pursue after glory, and that,
when you have undergone the greatest difficulties, you may not scruple,
for such things, to lose your lives. I exhort you, especially, to agree
one with another; and in what excellency anyone of you exceeds another, to
yield to him so far, and by that means to reap the advantage of everyone’s
own virtues. Do you then esteem Simon as your father, because he is a man
of extraordinary prudence, and be governed by him in what counsels be
gives you. Take Maccabeus for the general of your army, because of his
courage and strength, for he will avenge your nation, and will bring
vengeance on your enemies. Admit among you the righteous and religious,
and augment their power.” When Mattathias had thus discoursed to his
sons, and had prayed to God to be their assistant, and to recover for the
people their former constitution, he died a little afterward, and was
buried at Modin; all the people making great lamentation for him.
Whereupon his son Judas took upon him the administration of public
affairs, in the hundred forty and sixth year; and thus, by the ready
assistance of his brethren, and of others, Judas cast their enemies out of
the country, and put those of their own country to death who had
transgressed its laws, and purified the land of all the pollutions that
were in it.
Chapter
VII
When Apollonius, the general of the Samaritan forces, heard this, he took
his army, and made haste to go against Judas, who met him, and joined
battle with him, and beat him, and slew many of his men, and among them
Apollonius himself their general, whose sword being that which he happened
then to wear, he seized upon, and kept for himself; but he wounded more
than he slew, and took a great deal of prey from the enemy’s camp, and
went his way; but when Seron, who was general of the army of Coelesyria,
heard that many had joined themselves to Judas, and that he had about him
an army sufficient for fighting, and for making war, he determined to make
an expedition against him, thinking it became him to endeavour to punish
those who transgressed the king’s injunctions. He then got together an
army, as large as he was able, and joined to it the renegade and wicked
Jews, and came against Judas. He came as far as Bethhoron, a village of
Judea, and there pitched his camp; upon which Judas met him, and when he
intended to give him battle, he saw that his soldiers were reluctant to
fight, because their number was small, and because they lacked food, for
they were fasting, he encouraged them, and said to them, that victory and
conquest of enemies are not derived from the multitude in armies, but in
the exercise of piety toward God; and that they had the plainest instances
in their forefathers, who, by their righteousness and exerting themselves
on behalf of their own laws, and their own children, had frequently
conquered many ten thousands; for innocence is the strongest army. By this
speech he induced his men to despise the multitude of the enemy, and to
attack upon Seron; and, upon joining battle with him, he beat the Syrians;
and when their general fell among the rest, they all ran away with speed,
thinking that to be their best way of escaping. So he pursued them to the
plain, and slew about eight hundred of the enemy; but the rest escaped to
the region which lay near to the sea. When King Antiochus heard of these
things, he was very angry at what had happened; so he got together all his
own army, with many mercenaries, whom he had hired from the islands, and
took them with him, and prepared to invade Judea about the beginning of
the spring; but when, upon mustering his soldiers, he perceived that his
treasures were deficient, and there was a shortage of money in them, for
all the taxes were not paid by reason of the seditions there had been
among the nations he having been so magnanimous and so liberal, that what
he had was not sufficient for him, he therefore resolved, first to go into
Persia, and collect the taxes of that country. Hereupon, he left one whose
name was Lysias, who was in great repute with him, governor of the
kingdom, as far as the bounds of Egypt, and of the Lower Asia, and
reaching from the river Euphrates, and committed to him a certain part of
his forces, and of his elephants, and charged him to bring up his son
Antiochus with all possible care, until he came back; and that he should
conquer Judea, and take its inhabitants for slaves, and utterly destroy
Jerusalem, and abolish the whole nation; and when king Antiochus had given
these things in charge to Lysias, he went into Persia; and, in the hundred
and forty-seventh year, he passed over the Euphrates, and went to the
upper provinces. Upon this, Lysias chose Ptolemy, the son of Dorymenes,
and Nicanor, and Gorgias, very powerful men among the king’s friends,
and delivered to them forty thousand foot soldiers, and seven thousand
horsemen, and sent them against Judus, who came as far as the city of
Emmaus, and pitched their camp in the plain country. There came also to
them auxiliaries out of Syria, and the surrounding country; as also many
of the renegade Jews; and besides, these came some merchants to buy those
who should be carried captives, (having bonds with them to bind those who
should be made prisoners,) with that silver and gold which they were to
pay for their price; and when Judas saw their camp, and how numerous their
enemies were, he persuaded his own soldiers to be of good courage; and
exhorted them to place their hopes of victory in God, and to make
supplication to him, according to the custom of their country, clothed in
sackcloth; and to show what was their usual habit of supplication in the
greatest dangers, and thereby to prevail with God to grant you the victory
over your enemies. So he set them in their ancient order of battle used by
their forefathers, under their captains of thousands, and other officers,
and dismissed such as were newly married, as well as those who had newly
gained possessions, that they might not fight in a cowardly manner, out of
an inordinate love of life, in order to enjoy those blessings. When he had
thus disposed his soldiers, he encouraged them to fight by the following
speech, which he made to them:—“O my fellow soldiers, no other time
remains more opportune than the present for courage and contempt of
dangers; for if you now fight manfully, you may recover your liberty,
which, as it is a thing of itself agreeable to all men, so it proves to be
to us much more desirable, by its affording us the liberty of worshipping
God. Since, therefore, you are in such circumstances at present, you must
either recover that liberty, and so regain a happy and blessed way of
living, which is that according to our laws, and the customs of our
country, or to submit to the most opprobrious sufferings; nor will any
seed of your nation remain, if you be beat in this battle. Fight,
therefore, manfully; and suppose that you must die, though you do not
fight; but believe that, besides such glorious rewards as those of the
liberty of your country, of your laws, of your religion, you shall then
obtain everlasting glory. Prepare yourselves, therefore, and put
yourselves into such an agreeable posture, that you may be ready to fight
with the enemy as soon as it is day tomorrow morning.” And this was the
speech which Judas made to encourage them. But when the enemy sent Gorgias,
with five thousand foot soldiers and one thousand cavalry, that he might
attack Judas by night, and had for that purpose certain of the renegade
Jews as guides, the son of Mattathias perceived it, and resolved to attack
those enemies that were in their camp, now that their forces were divided.
When they had therefore supped in good time, and had left many fires in
their camp, he marched all night to those enemies that were at Emmaus; so
that when Gorgias found no enemy in their camp, but suspected that they
were retired and had hidden themselves among the mountains, he resolved to
go and seek them, wherever they were. But about the break of day Judas
appeared to those enemies that were at Emmaus, with only three thousand
men, and those ill armed, by reason of their poverty; and when he saw the
enemy very well and skilfully fortified in their camp, he encouraged the
Jews, and told them that they ought to fight, though it were with their
naked bodies, for that God had sometimes of old given such men strength,
and that against such as were more in number, and were armed also, out of
regard to their great courage. So he commanded the trumpeters to sound for
the battle; and by thus attacking the enemies when they did not expect it,
and thereby astonishing and disturbing their minds, he slew many of those
who resisted him, and went on pursuing the rest as far as Gadara, and the
plains of Idumea, and Ashdod, and Jamnia; and of these there fell about
three thousand. Yet did Judas exhort his soldiers not to be too desirous
of the spoils, for that still they must have a contest and battle with
Gorgias, and the forces that were with him; but that when they had once
overcome them, then they might securely plunder the camp, because they
were the only enemies remaining, and they expected no others. And just as
he was speaking to his soldiers, Gorgias’ men looked down on that army
which they left in their camp, and saw that it was overthrown, and the
camp burnt; for the smoke that arose from it showed them, even when they
were a great way off, what had happened. When, therefore, those who were
with Gorgias understood that things were in this state, and perceived that
those who were with Judas were ready to fight them, they also were
frightened, and put to flight; but then Judas, as though he had already
beaten Gorgias’ soldiers without fighting, returned and seized on the
spoils. He took a great quantity of gold and silver, and purple and blue,
and then returned home with joy, and singing hymns to God for their good
success; for this victory greatly contributed to the recovery of their
liberty. Hereupon Lysias was confounded at the defeat of the army which he
had sent, and the next year he got together sixty thousand chosen men. He
also took five thousand horsemen, and attacked Judea; and he went up to
the hill country of Bethsura, a village of Judea, and pitched his camp
there, where Judas met him with ten thousand men; and when he saw the
great number of his enemies, he prayed to God that he would assist him,
and joined battle with the first of the enemy that appeared, and beat
them, and slew about five thousand of them, and thereby became terrible to
the rest of them. Nay, indeed, Lysias observing the great spirit of the
Jews, how they were prepared to die rather than lose their liberty, and
being afraid of their desperate way of fighting, as if it were real
strength, he took the rest of the army back with him, and returned to
Antioch, where he enlisted foreigners into the service, and prepared to
attack Judea with a greater army. When therefore, the generals of
Antiochus’ armies had been beaten so often, Judas assembled the people
together, and told them, that after these many victories which God had
given them, they ought to go up to Jerusalem, and purify the temple, and
offer the appointed sacrifices. But as soon as he, with the whole
multitude, was come to Jerusalem, and found the temple deserted, and its
gates burnt down, and plants growing in the temple of their own accord, on
account of its desertion, he and those who were with him began to lament,
and were quite confounded at the sight of the temple; so he chose out some
of his soldiers, and gave them order to fight against those guards that
were in the citadel, until he should have purified the temple. When,
therefore, he had carefully purged it, and had brought in new vessels, the
lampstand, the table [of showbread], and the altar [of incense], which
were made of gold, he hung up the veils at the gates, and added doors to
them. He also took down the altar [of burnt offering], and built a new one
of stones that he gathered together, and not of such as were hewn with
iron tools. So on the five and twentieth day of the month of Chisleu,
which the Macedonians call Apellaios, they lit the lamps that were on the
lampstand, and offered incense upon the altar [of incense], and laid the
loaves upon the table [of showbread], and offered burnt offerings upon the
new altar [of burnt offering]. Now it so happened, that these things were
done on the very same day on which their divine worship had stopped, and
was reduced to a profane and common use, after three years’ time; for so
it was, that the temple was made desolate by Antiochus, and so continued
for three years. This desolation happened to the temple in the hundred
forty and fifth year, on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Apellaios,
and on the hundred fifty and third Olympiad: but it was dedicated anew, on
the same day, the twenty-fifth of the month of Apellaios, on the hundred
and forty-eighth year, and on the hundred and fifty-fourth Olympiad. And
this desolation came to pass according to the prophecy of Daniel, which
was given four hundred and eight years before; for he declared that the
Macedonians would stop that worship [for some time]. Now Judas celebrated
the festival of the restoration of the sacrifices of the temple for eight
days; and omitted no sort of pleasures thereon: but he feasted them upon
very rich and splendid sacrifices; and he honoured God, and delighted them
by hymns and psalms. Nay, they were so very glad at the revival of their
customs, when, after a long time of intermission, they unexpectedly had
regained the freedom of their worship, that they made it a law for their
posterity that they should keep a festival, on account of the restoration
of their temple worship, for eight days. And from that time to this we
celebrate this festival, and call it Lights . I suppose the reason was,
because this liberty beyond our hopes appeared to us; and that hence was
the name given to that festival. Judas also rebuilt the walls around the
city, and reared towers of great height against the incursions of enemies,
and set guards therein.
Chapter
VIII
He also fortified the city of Bethsura, that it might serve as a citadel
against any distresses that might come from our enemies. When these things
were over, the nations around the Jews were very uneasy at the revival of
their power, and rose up together, and killed many of them, as gaining
advantage over them by laying snares for them, and making secret
conspiracies against them. Judas made perpetual expeditions against these
men, and endeavoured to restrain them from those incursions, and to
prevent the mischiefs they did to the Jews. So he attacked the Idumeans,
the posterity of Esau, at Akrabatene, and slew a great many of them, and
took their spoils. He also shut up the sons of Baanites, that laid wait
for the Jews; and he besieged them closely, and burnt their towers, and
killed the men [that were in them]. After this, he went from there in
haste against the Ammonites, who had a great and a numerous army, of which
Timothy was the commander. And when he had subdued them, he seized on the
city of Jazer, and took their wives and their children captives, and burnt
the city, and then returned into Judea. But when the neighbouring nations
understood that he was returned, they got together in great numbers in the
land of Gilead, and came against those Jews that were at their borders,
who then fled to the garrison of Dathema; and sent to Judas, to inform him
that Timothy was endeavouring to take the place where they were fled. And
as these letters were being read, there came other messengers out of
Galilee, who informed him that the inhabitants of Ptolemais, and of Tyre
and Sidon, and strangers of Galilee, were gotten together. Accordingly,
Judas, upon considering what was fit to be done with relation to the
necessity both these cases required, gave orders that Simon his brother
should take three thousand chosen men, and go to the assistance of the
Jews in Galilee, while he and another of his brothers, Jonathan, made
haste into the land of Gilead with eight thousand soldiers. And he left
Joseph, the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, to be over the rest of the
forces; and charged them to keep Judea very carefully, and to fight no
battles with any persons whomever until his return. Accordingly, Simon
went into Galilee, and fought the enemy, and put them to flight, and
pursued them to the very gates of Ptolemais, and slew about three thousand
of them, and took the spoils of those who were slain, and those Jews whom
they had made captives, with their baggage, and then returned home. Now as
for Judas Maccabeus and his brother Jonathan, they passed over the river
Jordan; and when they had gone three days journey, they came upon the
Nabateans, who came to meet them peaceably, and who told them how the
affairs of those in the land of Gallilee stood; and how many of them were
in distress, and driven into garrisons, and into the cities of Galilee;
and exhorted him to make haste to go against the foreigners, and to
endeavour to save his own countrymen out of their hands. To this
exhortation Judas listened, and returned to the wilderness; and, in the
first place, attacked the inhabitants of Bosor, and took the city, and
beat the inhabitants, and killed all the males, and all that were able to
fight, and burnt the city. Nor did he stop even when night came on, but he
journeyed in it to the garrison where the Jews happened to be then shut
up, and where Timothy lay around the place with his army. And Judas came
upon the city in the morning; and when he found that the enemy was making
an assault upon the walls, and that some of them brought ladders, by which
they might get upon those walls, and that others brought engines [to
batter them], he bade the trumpeter to sound his trumpet, and he
encouraged his soldiers cheerfully to undergo dangers for the sake of
their brethren and kindred; he also parted his army into three bodies, and
attacked the backs of their enemies. But when Timothy’s men perceived
that it was Maccabeus that was upon them, of both whose courage and good
success in war they had formerly had sufficient experience, they were put
to flight; but Judas followed them with his army, and slew about eight
thousand of them. He then turned aside to a city of the foreigners called
Maspha, and took it, and slew all the males, and burnt the city itself. He
then moved from there, and overthrew Casphom and Bosor, and many other
cities of the land of Gilead. But not long after this, Timothy prepared a
great army, and took many others as auxiliaries; and induced some of the
Arabians, by the promise of rewards, to go with him in this expedition,
and came with his army beyond the brook, opposite the city of Raphon; and
he encouraged his soldiers, if it came to a battle with the Jews, to fight
courageously, and to hinder their passing over the brook; for he said to
them beforehand, that “if they come over it, we shall be beaten.” And
when Judas heard that Timothy prepared himself to fight, he took all his
own army, and went in haste against Timothy his enemy; and when he had
passed over the brook, he attacked his enemies, and some of them met him,
whom he slew, and others of them he so terrified that he compelled them to
throw down their arms and flee; and some of them escaped, but some of them
fled to what was called the temple of Carnaim, and hoped thereby to
preserve themselves; but Judas took the city, and slew them, and burnt the
temple, and so used various ways of killing his enemies. When he had done
this, he gathered the Jews together, with their children, and wives, and
the substance that belonged to them, and was going to bring them back into
Judea. But as soon as he was come to a certain city, whose name was Ephron,
that lay upon the road, (and it was not possible for him to go any other
way, so he was not willing to go back again,) he then sent to the
inhabitants, and desired that they would open their gates, and permit them
to go on their way through the city; for they had plugged the gates with
stones, and cut off their passage through it. And when the inhabitants of
Ephron would not agree to this proposal, he encouraged those who were with
him, and surrounded the city, and besieged it, and, lying around it by day
and night, took the city, and slew every male in it, and burnt it all
down, and so obtained a way through it; and the multitude of those who
were slain was so great, that they went over the dead bodies. So they came
over Jordan, and arrived at the great plain, opposite which is located the
city of Bethshan, which is called by the Greeks Scythopolis. {a} And going
away hastily from there, they came into Judea, singing psalms and hymns as
they went, and indulging such tokens of mirth as are usual in triumphs
upon victory. They also offered thank offerings, both for their good
success, and for the preservation of their army, for not one of the Jews
was slain in these battles. {b} But as to Joseph, the son of Zacharias,
and Azarias, whom Judas left as generals [of the rest of his forces] at
the same time when Simon was in Galilee, fighting against the people of
Ptolemais, and Judas himself, and his brother Jonathan, were in the land
of Gilead, did these men also affect the glory of being courageous
generals in war, in order whereto they took the army that was under their
command, and came to Jamnia. There Gorgias, the general of the forces of
Jamnia, met them; and upon joining battle with him, they lost two thousand
of their army, {c} and fled away, and were pursued to the very borders of
Judea. And this misfortune befell them by their disobedience to those
injunctions Judas had given them, not to fight with anyone before his
return. For besides the rest of Judas’ sagacious counsels, one may well
wonder at this concerning the misfortune that befell the forces commanded
by Joseph and Azarias, which he understood would happen if they broke any
of the injunctions he had given them. But Judas and his brethren did not
stop fighting with the Idumeans, but pressed upon them on all sides, and
took from them the city of Hebron, and demolished all its fortifications,
and set all its towers on fire, and burnt the country of the foreigners,
and the city of Marissa. They came also to Ashdod, and took it, and laid
it waste, and took away a great deal of the spoils and prey that were in
it, and returned to Judea.
Chapter
IX
About this time it was that King Antiochus, as he was going over the upper
countries, heard that there was a very rich city in Persia, called Elymais;
and therein a very rich temple of Diana, and that it was full of all sorts
of donations dedicated to it; as also weapons and breastplates, which,
upon inquiry, he found had been left there by Alexander, the son of
Philip, king of Macedonia; and being incited by these motives, he went in
haste to Elymais, and assaulted it, and besieged it. But as those that
were in it were not terrified at his assault, nor at his siege, but
opposed him very courageously, he was frustrated in his hopes; for they
drove him away from the city, and went out and pursued after him, insomuch
that he fled away as far as Babylon, and lost a great many of his army;
and when he was grieving for this disappointment, some persons told him of
the defeat of his commanders whom he had left behind him to fight against
Judea, and what strength the Jews had already gotten. When this concern
about these affairs was added to the former, he was confounded, and by the
anxiety he was in fell into a distemper, which, as it lasted a great
while, and as his pains increased upon him, so he at length perceived he
should die in a little time; so he called his friends to him, and told
them that his distemper was severe upon him, and confessed withal, that
this calamity was sent upon him for the miseries he had brought upon the
Jewish nation, while he plundered their temple and despised their God; and
when he had said this, he gave up the ghost. Hence one may wonder at
Polybius of Megalopolis, who, though otherwise a good man, yet says that
“Antiochus died, because he had a purpose to plunder the temple of Diana
in Persia;” for the purposing to do a thing, {a} but not actually doing
it, is not worthy of punishment. But if Polybius could think that
Antiochus thus lost his life on that account, it is much more probable
that this king died on account of his sacrilegious plundering of the
temple at Jerusalem. But we will not contend about this matter with those
who may think that the cause assigned by this Polybius of Megalopolis is
nearer the truth than that assigned by us. However, Antiochus, before he
died, called for Philip, who was one of his companions, and made him the
guardian of his kingdom; and gave him his diadem, and his garment, and his
ring, and charged him to carry them, and deliver them to his son
Antiochus; and desired him to take care of his education, and to preserve
the kingdom for him. {b} This Antiochus died in the hundred forty and
ninth year: but it was Lysias that declared his death to the multitude,
and appointed his son Antiochus to be king, (of whom at present he had the
care,) and called him Eupator. At this time it was that the garrison in
the citadel of Jerusalem, with the Jewish renegades, did a great deal of
harm to the Jews; for the soldiers who were in that garrison rushed out
suddenly, and killed such as were going up to the temple in order to offer
their sacrifices, for this citadel adjoined to and overlooked the temple.
When these misfortunes had often happened to them, Judas resolved to kill
that garrison; whereupon he got all the people together, and vigorously
besieged those who were in the citadel. This was in the hundred and
fiftieth year of the dominion of the Seleucids. So he made engines of war,
and erected bulwarks, and very zealously pressed on to take the citadel.
But there were not a few of the renegades who were in the place who went
out by night into the country, and got together some other wicked men like
themselves, and went to Antiochus the king, and desired of him that he
would not permit them to be neglected, under the great hardships that lay
upon them from those of their own nation; and this because their
sufferings were occasioned on his father’s account, while they left the
religious worship of their fathers, and preferred that which he had
commanded them to follow: that there was danger lest the citadel, and
those appointed to garrison it by the king, should be taken by Judas, and
those who were with him, unless he would send them reinforcements. When
Antiochus, who was but a child, heard this, he was angry, and sent for his
captains and his friends, and gave orders that they should get an army of
mercenaries together, with such men also of his own kingdom as were of an
age fit for war. Accordingly, an army was collected of about a hundred
thousand footmen, and twenty thousand horsemen, and thirty-two elephants.
So the king took this army, and marched hastily out of Antioch, with
Lysias, who had the command of the whole, and came to Idumea, and there
went up to the city of Bethsura, a city that was strong, and not to be
taken without great difficulty. He surrounded this city, and besieged it.
And while the inhabitants of Bethsura courageously opposed him, and
sallied out upon him, and burnt his engines of war, a great deal of time
was spent in the siege. But when Judas heard of the king’s coming, he
raised the siege of the citadel, and met the king, and pitched his camp in
certain passes, at a place called Bethzachariah, at the distance of nine
miles from the enemy; but the king soon drew his forces from Bethsura, and
brought them to those passes. And as soon as it was day, he put his men in
battle array, and made his elephants follow one another through the narrow
passes, because they could not be set sideways by one another. Now around
every elephant there were a thousand footmen and five hundred horsemen.
The elephants also had high towers [upon their backs], and archers [in
them]. And he also made the rest of his army to go up the mountains, and
put his friends before the rest; and gave orders for the army to shout
aloud, and so he attacked the enemy. He also exposed to sight their golden
and brazen shields, so that a glorious splendour was sent from them; and
when they shouted the mountains echoed again. When Judas saw this, he was
not terrified, but received the enemy with great courage, and slew about
six hundred of the first ranks. But when his brother Eleazar, whom they
called Auran, saw the tallest of all the elephants armed with royal
breastplates, and supposed that the king was upon him, he attacked him
with great quickness and bravery. He also slew many of those who were
around the elephant, and scattered the rest, and then went under the belly
of the elephant, and smote him, and slew him; so the elephant fell upon
Eleazar, and by his weight crushed him to death. And thus did this man
come to his end, when he had first courageously killed many of his
enemies. But Judas, seeing the strength of the enemy, retired to
Jerusalem, and prepared to endure a siege. As for Antiochus, he sent part
of his army to Bethsura, to besiege it, and with the rest of his army he
came against Jerusalem; but the inhabitants of Bethsura were terrified at
his strength; and seeing that their provisions grew scarce, they delivered
themselves up on the security of oaths that they should suffer no hard
treatment from the king. And when Antiochus had thus taken the city, he
did them no other harm than sending them out naked. He also placed a
garrison of his own in the city. But as for the temple of Jerusalem, he
lay at its siege a long time, while they within bravely defended it; for
whatever engines the king set against them, they set other engines again
to oppose them. But then their provisions failed them; what fruits of the
ground they had laid up were spent and the land being not ploughed that
year, continued fallow, because it was the seventh year, on which, by our
laws, we are obliged to let it lay uncultivated. And therefore, so many of
the besieged ran away for lack of necessities, that but a few only were
left in the temple. And these happened to be the circumstances of such as
were besieged in the temple. But then, because Lysias, the general of the
army, and Antiochus, the king, were informed that Philip was coming upon
them out of Persia, and was endeavouring to get the management of public
affairs to himself, they came into these sentiments, to leave the siege,
and to make haste to go against Philip; yet did they resolve not to let
this be known to the soldiers or to the officers; but the king commanded
Lysias to speak openly to the soldiers and the officers, without saying a
word about the business of Philip; and to intimate to them that the siege
would be very long; that the place was very strong; that they were already
in want of provisions; that many affairs of the kingdom wanted regulation;
and that it was much better to make a league with the besieged, and to
become friends to their whole nation, by permitting them to observe the
laws of their fathers, while they broke out into this war only because
they were deprived of them, and so to depart home. When Lysias had
discoursed thus to them, both the army and the officers were pleased with
this resolution. Accordingly, the king sent to Judas, and to those that
were besieged with them, and promised to give them peace, and to permit
them to make use of, and live according to the laws of their fathers; and
they gladly received his proposals; and when they had gained security upon
oath for their performance, they went out of the temple. But when
Antiochus came into it, and saw how strong the place was, he broke his
oaths, and ordered his army that was there to pull down the walls to the
ground; and when he had so done, he returned to Antioch. He also carried
with him Onias the high priest, who was also called Menelaus; for Lysias
advised the king to slay Menelaus, if he would have the Jews be quiet, and
cause him no further disturbance, for that this man was the origin of all
the mischief the Jews had done them, by persuading his father to compel
the Jews to leave the religion of their fathers; so the king sent Menelaus
to Berea, a city of Syria, and there had him put to death, when he had
been high priest ten years. He had been a wicked and an impious man; and,
in order to get the government to himself, had compelled his nation to
transgress their own laws. After the death of Menelaus, Alcimus, who was
also called Jacimus, was made high priest. But when King Antiochus found
that Philip had already possessed himself of the government, he made war
against him, and subdued him, and took him, and slew him. Now as to Onias,
the son of the high priest, who, as we before informed you, was left a
child when his father died, when he saw that the king had slain his uncle
Menelaus, and given the high priesthood to Alcimus, who was not of the
high priestly family, but was induced by Lysias to translate that dignity
from his family to another house, he fled to Ptolemy, king of Egypt; and
when he found he was in great esteem with him, and with his wife
Cleopatra, he desired and obtained a place in the nome of Heliopolis,
wherein he built a temple like to that at Jerusalem; of which therefore we
shall hereafter give an account, in a place more proper for it.
Chapter
X
About the same time, Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, fled away from Rome,
and took Tripoli, a city of Syria, and set the diadem on his own head. He
also gathered certain mercenary soldiers together, and entered into his
kingdom, and was joyfully received by all, who delivered themselves up to
him; and when they had taken Antiochus, the king, and Lysias, they brought
them to him alive; both which were immediately put to death by the command
of Demetrius, when Antiochus had reigned two years, as we have already
elsewhere related; but there were now many of the wicked Jewish renegades
who came together to him, and with them Alcimus the high priest, who
accused the whole nation, and particularly Judas and his brethren; and
said that they had slain all his friends; and that those in his kingdom
that were of his party, and waited for his return, were by them put to
death; that these men had ejected them out of their own country, and
caused them to be sojourners in a foreign land; and they desired that he
would send some one of his own friends, and know from him what mischief
Judas’ party had done. At this, Demetrius was very angry, and sent
Bacchides, a friend of Antiochus Epiphanes, {a} a good man, and one that
had been intrusted with all Mesopotamia, and gave him an army, and
committed Alcimus, the high priest, to his care; and gave him orders to
slay Judas, and those who were with him. So Bacchides made haste, and went
out of Antioch with his army; and when he was come into Judea, he sent to
Judas and his brethren, to discourse with them about a league of
friendship and peace, for he had a mind to take him by treachery; but
Judas did not give credit to him, for he saw that he came with so great an
army as men do not bring when they come to make peace, but to make war.
However, some of the people acquiesced in what Bacchides caused to be
proclaimed; and supposing they should undergo no considerable harm from
Alcimus, who was their countryman, they went over to them; and when they
had received oaths from both of them, that neither they themselves nor
those of the same sentiments should come to any harm, they intrusted
themselves with them; but Bacchides troubled not himself about the oaths
he had taken, but slew sixty of them, although, by not keeping his faith
with those that first went over, he deterred all the rest, who had
intentions to go over to him, from doing it; but as he was gone out of
Jerusalem, and was at the village called Bethzetho, he sent out and caught
many of the deserters, and some of the people also, and slew them all; and
enjoined all that lived in the country to submit to Alcimus. So he left
him there, with some part of the army, that he might have wherewith to
keep the country in obedience and returned to Antioch to King Demetrius.
But Alcimus was desirous to have the dominion more firmly assured to him;
and understanding that, if he could bring it about that the multitude
should be his friends, he should govern with greater security, he spoke
kind words to them all, and discoursed to each of them after an agreeable
and pleasant manner; by which means he quickly had a great body of men and
an army about him, although the greater part of them were of the wicked,
and the deserters. With these, whom he used as his servants and soldiers,
he went all over the country, and slew all that he could find of Judas’
party; but when Judas saw that Alcimus was already become great, and had
killed many of the good and holy men of the country, he also went all over
the country, and killed those who were of the other party; but when
Alcimus saw that he was not able to oppose Judas, nor was equal to him in
strength, he resolved to apply himself to King Demetrius for his
assistance; so he came to Antioch, and irritated him against Judas, and
accused him, alleging that he had undergone a great many miseries by his
means, and that he would do more mischief unless he were prevented and
brought to punishment, which must be done by sending a powerful force
against him. So Demetrius, being already of the opinion that it would be a
thing pernicious to his own affairs to overlook Judas, now he was becoming
so great, sent against him Nicanor, the most kind and most faithful of all
his friends; for he it was who fled away with him from the city of Rome.
He also gave him as many forces as he thought sufficient for him to
conquer Judas with, and bade him not to spare the nation at all. When
Nicanor was come to Jerusalem, he did not resolve to fight Judas
immediately, but judged it better to get him into his power by treachery;
so he sent him a message of peace, and said there was no manner of
necessity for them to fight and hazard themselves; and that he would give
him his oath that he would do him no harm, for that he only came with some
friends, in order to let him know what King Demetrius’ intentions were,
and what opinion he had of their nation. When Nicanor had delivered this
message, Judas and his brethren complied with him, and, suspecting no
deceit, they gave him assurances of friendship, and received Nicanor and
his army; but while he was greeting Judas, and they were talking together,
he gave a certain signal to his own soldiers, upon which they were to
seize upon Judas; but he perceived the treachery, and ran back to his own
soldiers and fled away with them. So upon this discovery of his purpose,
and of the snares laid for Judas, Nicanor determined to make open war with
him, and gathered his army together, and prepared for fighting him; and
upon joining battle with him at a certain village called Chapharsalama, he
beat Judas, {b} and forced him to flee to that citadel which was at
Jerusalem. And when Nicanor came down from the citadel to the temple, some
of the priests and elders met him, and greeted him; and showed him the
sacrifices which they said they offered to God for the king: upon which he
blasphemed, and threatened them that unless the people would deliver up
Judas to him, upon his return he would pull down their temple. And when he
had thus threatened them, he departed from Jerusalem: but the priests fell
into tears out of grief at what he had said, and besought God to deliver
them from their enemies. But now for Nicanor, when he was gone out of
Jerusalem, and was at a certain village called Bethhoron, he there pitched
his camp, another army out of Syria having joined him. And Judas pitched
his camp at Adasa, another village, which was about four miles from
Bethhoron, having no more than one thousand soldiers. And when he had
encouraged them not to be dismayed at the multitude of their enemies, nor
to regard how many they were against whom they were going to fight, but to
consider who they themselves were, and for what great rewards they
hazarded themselves, and to attack the enemy courageously, he led them out
to fight, and joining battle with Nicanor, which proved to be a severe
one, he overcame the enemy, and slew many of them; and at last Nicanor
himself, as he was fighting gloriously, fell; upon whose fall the army did
not stay; but when they had lost their general, they were put to flight,
and threw down their arms. Judas also pursued them and slew them, and gave
notice by the sound of the trumpets to the neighbouring villages that he
had conquered the enemy; which, when the inhabitants heard, they put on
their armour hastily, and met their enemies in the face as they were
running away, and slew them, insomuch that not one of them escaped out of
this battle, who were in number nine thousand. This victory happened to
fall on the thirteenth day of that month which by the Jews is called Adar
and by the Macedonians Dystros; and the Jews thereon celebrate this
victory every year, and esteem it as a festival day. After which the
Jewish nation was, for a while, free from wars, and enjoyed peace; but
afterward they returned into their former state of wars and hazards. But
now, as the high priest Alcimus was resolving to pull down the wall of the
sanctuary, which had been there of old time, and had been built by the
holy prophets, he was smitten suddenly by God and fell down. {c} This
stroke made him fall down speechless upon the ground; and undergoing
torments for many days, he at length died, when he had been high priest
four years. And when he was dead, the people bestowed the high priesthood
on Judas; who, hearing of the power of the Romans, {d} and that they had
conquered in war Galatia, and Iberia, and Carthage, and Libya; and that,
besides these, they had subdued Greece, and their kings, Perseus, and
Philip, and Antiochus the Great also; he resolved to enter into a league
of friendship with them. He therefore sent to Rome some of his friends,
Eupolemus, the son of John, and Jason, the son of Eleazar, and by them
desired the Romans that they would assist them, and be their friends, and
would write to Demetrius that he would not fight against the Jews. So the
senate received the ambassadors that came from Judas to Rome, and
discoursed with them about the errand on which they came, and then granted
them a league of assistance. They also made a decree concerning it, and
sent a copy of it into Judea. It was also laid up in the capitol, and
engraved in brass. The decree itself was this: “The decree of the senate
concerning a league of assistance and friendship with the nation of the
Jews. It shall not be lawful for any that are subject to the Romans to
make war with the nation of the Jews, nor to assist those who do so,
either by sending them grain, or ships, or money. And if any attack be
made upon the Jews, the Romans shall assist them, as far as they are able;
and again, if any attack be made upon the Romans, the Jews shall assist
them. And if the Jews have a mind to add to, or to take away anything from
this league of assistance, that shall be done with the common consent of
the Romans. And whatever addition shall thus be made, it shall be valid.”
This decree was written by Eupolemus, the son of John, and by Jason, the
son of Eleazar, {e} when Judas was high priest of the nation, and Simon
his brother was general of the army. And this was the first league that
the Romans made with the Jews, and was managed after this manner.
Chapter
XI
But when Demetrius was informed of the death of Nicanor, and of the
destruction of the army that was with him, he sent Bacchides again with an
army into Judea, who marched out of Antioch, and came into Judea, and
pitched his camp at Arbela, a city of Galilee; and having besieged and
taken those who were there in caves, (for many of the people fled into
such places,) he moved, and made all the haste he could to Jerusalem. And
when he had learned that Judas had pitched his camp at a certain village,
whose name was Bethzetho, he led his army against him: they were twenty
thousand footmen, and two thousand horsemen. Now Judas had no more
soldiers than one thousand. {a} When these saw the multitude of Bacchides’
men, they were afraid, and left their camp, and fled all away, excepting
eight hundred. Now when Judas was deserted by his own soldiers, and the
enemy pressed upon him, and gave him no time to gather his army together,
he was disposed to fight with Bacchides’ army, though he had but eight
hundred men with him; so he exhorted these men to undergo the danger
courageously, and encouraged them to attack the enemy. And when they said
they were not a body sufficient to fight so great an army, and advised
that they should retire now, and save themselves and that when he had
gathered his own men together, then he should attack the enemy afterward,
his answer was this:—“Let not the sun ever see such a thing, that I
should show my back to the enemy; and although this be the time that will
bring me to my end, and I must die in this battle, I will rather stand to
it courageously, and bear whatever comes upon me, than by now running
away, bring reproach upon my former great actions, or tarnish their glory.”
This was the speech he made to those who remained with him, whereby he
encouraged them to attack the enemy. But Bacchides drew his army out of
their camp, and put them in array for the battle. He set the horsemen on
both the wings, and the light soldiers and the archers he placed before
the whole army, but he was himself on the right wing. And when he had thus
put his army in order of battle, and was going to join battle with the
enemy, he commanded the trumpeter to give a signal of battle, and the army
to make a shout, and to fall on the enemy. And when Judas had done the
same, he joined battle with them; and as both sides fought valiantly, and
the battle continued till sunset, Judas saw that Bacchides and the
strongest part of the army was in the right wing, and thereupon took the
most courageous men with him, and ran upon that part of the army, and fell
upon those who were there, and broke their ranks, and drove them into the
middle, and forced them to run away, and pursued them as far as to a
mountain called Aza: but when those of the left wing saw that the right
wing was put to flight, they surrounded Judas, and pursued him, and came
behind him, and took him into the middle of their army; so being not able
to flee, but surrounded with enemies, he stood still, and he and those who
were with him fought; and when he had slain a great many of those who came
against him, he at last was himself wounded, and fell, and gave up the
ghost, and died in a way like to his former famous actions. When Judas was
dead, those who were with him had no one whom they could regard [as their
commander]; but when they saw themselves deprived of such a general, they
fled. But Simon and Jonathan, Judas’ brethren, received his dead body by
a treaty from the enemy, and carried it to the village of Modin, where
their father had been buried, and there buried him; while the multitude
lamented him many days, and performed the usual solemn rites of a funeral
to him. And this was the end that Judas came to. He had been a man of
valour and a great warrior, and mindful of the commands of their father
Mattathias; and had undergone all difficulties, both in doing and
suffering, for the liberty of his countrymen. And when his character was
so excellent [while he was alive], he left behind him a glorious
reputation and memorial, by gaining freedom for his nation, and delivering
them from slavery under the Macedonians. And when he had retained the high
priesthood three years, he died.
Bob Vincent |
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